The Future isn't Written
by notcreativeenoughtomakeone
Summary: Thirty years have passed since they beat xana, and everyone has settled down. Xana escapes and kills the group, leaving their kids to go back into time and help their parents defeat xana, without revealing who they are.
1. Next generation

**I had a lot of spare time on my hand, summer does that so I've decided to go back and correct this story. My most common review is , ' Love it, but a lot of typos,' There might still be few here and there, but now not nearly as many. Plus I hope reposting this will get more reviews for it. **

Disclaimer-I don't own code lyoko, and this statement applies for all chapters.

* * *

Jeremie woke up slowly, with the alarmclock on his night stand, doing what an alarm clock does. He looked at the time, and was surprised that it had been going off for more than ten minutes before stirring him from his pillow. Turning off the alarm and turning on the light next to it, he put on his glasses and stood up. Before walking down stairs he kissed his wife on the cheek and whispered in her ear, " Time to get up Aelita."

" Already? Fine," she complained then flung the blanket off her. " I'll be in the shower, get the coffee started." She walked into the bathroom that was connected to their room and shut the door behind her. Jeremie made his way down the hall and stopped at the door next to the stairs.

He knocked twice and was going to speak before someone in the room shouted," I'm awake dad!"

" Just checking." Jeremie walked down the stairs, made a right and was in the kitchen. He opened the cabinet above the coffee maker and began to fill a coffee filter. When the coffee began to fill the pot he opened another cabinet and took out a bowl, then moved to another cabinet to get some cereal. He heard foot steps coming down the stairs and saw his daughter walk in the room in her pajamas. " Sleep well?" He asked filling the bowl of cereal with milk.

" Are you kidding, I was up all night studying for the test your giving third hour. I'm the teacher's daughter, why can't I have the answers?" she asked in an annoyed manner.

" Ask your mother," answered Jeremie taking a bite of his food. She just shook her head and walked upstairs into her room, walking back out a moment later with her towel to use the bathroom down stairs. Jeremie turned on the television and began to watch the news. It was mostly things he could care less about but then he stopped eating and turned up the volume, not noticing Aelita walking into the room in her rope.

" It's a mystery," the reporter started, " In four major cities on two different continents, the power grid for the entire area was strangely shut down for what seems to be for no reason. Chicago Illinois, and New York city areas are without power, as well as London and Paris. Details when we return." Jeremie's mind began to wander. His initial thought being xana, the power bent computer program he and his friends stopped when he was a teenager. He finally noticed Aelita standing next to him and looked at her.

Over the years, she had aged well, though she didn't look like she was twenty, but you wouldn't guess she was forty-three. Her hair was still as pink as ever, though most of it at the moment was wrapped in a towel. Jeremie was hansom, his hair was a little shorter, not by his own choice of course. Age is a bastard. The only thing that hadn't aged in Aelita's mind was his eyes, deep blue eyes that were still as young as ever.

" Are you alright, what did the news say?" asked Aelita, seeing almost dread written on him.

" Four cities blacked out over night. I think..."

" Stop being paranoid, xana is gone. We shut down the computer thirty years ago," Aelita cut in, knowing what he would say next.

" Yeah your right, just a coincidence," he answered taking another bite of his cereal. She walked over to him and kissed him before getting herself a cup of coffee. When the news came back, they didn't have any clues to what could have caused this. That didn't help Jeremie's paranoia. He had a feeling it wasn't a coincidence.

Their daughter walked in ten minutes later fully dressed, but still groggy. " Good morning Angela.," Aelita said as her daughter walked in.

" Is that sarcasm, it's Monday," Angela answered putting books in her backpack. Angela, the cute thirteen year old, and was as mixed with her parents genes as she could possibly get. In most cases the child tends to look more like one parent. Example, you look just like your father. Her hair was pink like her mother's though she had her fathers eyes. For the most part she looked exactly like Aelita with Jeremie's eyes. She had Aelita's nose and ears, Jeremie head shape and chin.

The personality couldn't be further away from either of them. Jeremie and Aelita were in kid terms, boring and uneventful, and both being teachers didn't make it any better. Angela was however, in kid terms, fun, energetic, brave, and adventurous, thus why her parents worry about her.

Her studies were still a major role in her life. Both her parents were geniuses so naturally she took the gene from one of them, even managing to skip a grade in elementary. It didn't consume her social life, she still had friends at the school. Jeremie finished his breakfast and went upstairs to shower leaving the girls alone.

" So did you study for your fathers test today?" Aelita asked taking a sip of her coffee.

" Of course. Why can't you teach physics. Dad doesn't ease on any test."

" He got the degree in physics, not me. Besides if you had Ms. Hertz for that class., you wouldn't be complaining." She said with a small laugh.

" Who's Ms. Hertz?"

" The teacher me and your father had at Kadic. She was nice but never went easy on our friend Odd. Not like he'd pay attention if she was going easy." After a small conversation about daddy being mean, Aelita went to her room to get dressed. She closed the door behind her and let her rope drop. Jeremie walked out of the bathroom and looked away for a brief second to reserve Aelita's modesty. " Don't worry, nothing you haven't seen before." She began to dress and Jeremie did the same.

" She's still upset because of your nasty little test."

" She'll get over it when she see's the class final. I remember Ms. Hertz's final. Long and boring. I didn't really even study and I still got an A."

" So did I. I almost miss those days. Almost."

* * *

When the family was ready they locked their doors, got in the car and drove to the school. Kadic hadn't changed much at all since Aelita and Jeremie went. Some additions were added, like the south wing for extra dormitories when the school expanded to fifth through twelfth grade but that was there when they were in ninth grade. The school was already busy when they arrived and Angela quickly ditched her parents to meet her friends before class began.

Angela looked at a boy sitting on the bench reading a book as she made her way to the cafeteria. He lifted his eyes for a moment to see who was looking at him and when he found out, went back to his business turning a page. She knew who the boy was. She knew him because he was the son of her parents closest friends. His name was Xi Ulrich Stern. At least twice a year Xi's parent's and her's would meet for dinner as well as some other kid's parents who also went to the academy, though she couldn't think of his name at the moment.

Xi has very dark brown hair that is cut just passed his eyes. Because his mother is Japanese his eyes are slightly slanted but no one could really notice unless they were trying to. His eyes were the same color as his hair. He was husky, but was still pretty short for his age, barely passing five feet. For some reason he preferred to be alone but was occasionally talking with some acquaintances. He really only had one real friend though. Odd Della Robbia jr.

Odd doesn't look much like his father but when the two stand next to each other, you could tell jr was senior's son. Odd's personality is the same as his father's; carefree, fun loving, joke telling and most of all, annoying as hell when any of the things that describe his personality goes too far. Like his father at his age he had his hair spiked up, but without the purple mark in the center, which made him wonder is that real or not, and if it is real is that purple hair anywhere else. He was taller than his father was at his age thankfully inheriting height from his mother.

" Good morning, you left the dorm pretty early today," Odd jr said as he walked over, with coffee in one hand and his backpack flung over his shoulder with the other.

" I like hot water in the morning so I have to get up early before you take it all. Your shower could peel skin off," said Xi, closing his book and putting it on the bench.

" It makes my hair smooth. Unlike your hair that looks like it should of been washed yesterday."

" Sucker punch. I sleep with ear plugs because you snore louder than a car horn. Two nights ago Xavier came to our room thinking it was something weird like a bomb or something. I don't remember what he thought he heard, I was too groggy."

" Can we just eat?" Odd jr asked, another trait he shared with his father.

" After you."

" Good morning boys." They looked up to see Mrs. Belpois next to them. " Have a good weekend?"

" Mostly just boring but sleeping kept me entertained," answered Xi.

" Nice to hear, how are your parents?" Aelita asked trying to keep track of her friends. Since post highschool she was finding it harder to keep in touch, so when Xi and Odd jr started at Kadic, she was finding it easier.

" Well with me and Justin here this year they have time to relax after work. Probably celebrating no clothes Saturday with us gone." Aelita looked at him, wondering to take his comment as a joke or a serious statement. " Don't ask," said Xi after a long pause.

" Okay..." Aelita said wondering about that, " So Odd how about your family?"

" My old man said he and my mom are going to take a vacation pretty soon. It's not even October and they're out in Fiji soaking up the sun."

" You sound upset."

" I am, I'm not in Fiji. I'm in France and in three hours I'll be taking your husbands physics test." Aelita laughed to herself, she'd been hearing about that test all morning and was never getting tired of the moaning.

" Have fun with that, see you both fifth hour." She walked away with a wave and moved toward the science department.

Odd jr and Xi walked into the cafeteria that was filled with life as the students talked about their classes, and the regular school gossip of who was dating who, who might date who, when who and who would break up and why was who dating who to begin with. They got their breakfast from the line and sat at their usual table next to the door. A tray landed next to Odd jr and a girl sat next to him with a broad smile across her face.

" Julie, what took you. Usually you're here first?" Odd jr asked his girlfriend looking at her from a side glance.

" Traffic in the girls showers, I slept in and didn't make it before the crowd came." She answered with a yawn. " So did anyone study for Mr. Belpois' test?"

" I looked at the book, took some notes on key stuff that looked important because it was in bold print," answered Odd jr, shoveling some eggs into his mouth.

" Can I see those?" Odd jr handed her his backpack and she found his physics book with a book marked page. The book mark was labeled, ' Bull Shit Exam,' and had a face drawn next to those words with angry eyebrows. She giggled when she saw that and found the sheet of paper that held his notes.

" So Xi, are you going to date anyone this year?" Odd jr asked after swallowing his meal sized bite.

" Maybe, but no one really tickles my fancy. I like to keep my options open," Xi answered looking up from his breakfast.

" Keep your options open? For the entire time I've known you, you've had two girlfriends. Even though I shouldn't say it in front of mine but for the sake of example. I've had five in the last year. We all keep our options open, but you don't try your options."

" Whatever," said Xi very unenthusiastically.

The table was quiet for a moment before Odd jr asked," Do your parents really walk around the house naked on Saturday?"Xi shrugged with a laugh.

* * *

The rest of the day went by normally. Seven classes, with lunch in between fourth and fifth. Then dinner followed by night showers for those who took them and working out for Xi and Odd jr. Xi hated to admit it but Odd jr had more arm strength than him. Odd jr usually wore long sleeved shirts but when he wasn't his arms were being shown off as girls watched him from a distance gigging amongst themselves. The teachers let them use the gym for their exercise. They worked out every other day, occasionally with a few spectators watching them.

They would do, push ups, pull ups, sit ups, suicides, and then leave for the day. They would do one-hundred push ups, Xi having to rest half way with Odd jr not resting the entire time. When it came to running, Xi was superior. He was faster and could run longer. They would practice boxing sometimes with a hanging bag that they let them keep it the closet if they put it back when they're done. Odd jr would only box the bag while Xi would practice pencak silat that he learned from both his parents.

When they got to their dorm they would finish their homework, which went pretty fast because they had all the same classes together. Then Odd jr would go and hang out with his current girl friend leaving the room to Xi. Xi didn't do much besides read but on work out days he'd take a shower so he didn't have to smell his sheets the next morning.

Angela's day went by in it's usual boring way. She felt a little annoyed that her parents were teachers at her school. She had to deal with them all day. When she first came to fifth grade she thought having your parents be the teachers would mean you could get away with more, but she found herself getting away with less because she couldn't play the sweet and innocent act to her parents who had learned ways to defend against it. In her biology class Aelita would say things like, " Could you please turn the lights off for me sweety." With the intension of embarrassing her.

After a four years with her parents she didn't mind it so much. Her parents gave her space even with their occupations. If she'd forgotten her wallet at home she could ask her parents and when she got home pay them back. She'd hadn't learned to love it, but at least it didn't drive her insane.

* * *

The next morning Jeremie woke up and did his usual morning routine, with the coffee and news. The news today, made him paranoid again.

" The black outs continue," started the reporter. " Last night three more cities went dark almost at the exact same time. The people of Tokyo, Miami, and Budapest are like last nights cities, completely without power." Then the phone rang making Jeremie jump. He shook of the momentary fright and looked at the caller id that said, 'STERN, ULRICH'.

" Hey, good morning," answered Jeremie, not sure if Ulrich or Yumi called so didn't use a name.

" Have you been watching the news," Ulrich's voice said, " Seven giant blackouts in two days. Little creepy." He stopped talking and Jeremie heard him take a drink of coffee.

" I know, at first I thought it was just weird but now I think it could be more than coincidence," answered Jeremie.

" I think we should check the factory. Xana's gone but something doesn't feel right."

" I agree, how about Saturday?"

" Can't, clothing optional day with the Mrs."

" I keep hearing about that, is that true?"

" Come over Saturday and find out. How about Sunday."

" That'll work. I'll call Odd and tell him."

" See you then." They both hung up and Aelita walked into the kitchen and asked who just called.

" Ulrich. He says it's a good idea if we check the factory just to be safe." The blackouts were scaring Aelita too, but was the factory really necessary.

" Jeremie, you promised you wouldn't."

" Three more blackouts just happened over night. I hate to say it, but xana is written all over it." Aelita sat on the chair and held her head up with the palms of her hands, thinking. " Look, we're not going until Sunday. If a logical reason for all this happening turns up till then, we'll call it off and go back to our lives."

" Fair enough," she answered standing from the chair and kissing her husband before getting coffee.

The next week went slow for Jeremie, watching the news for any sign of this mystery not being xana. On Saturday night still nothing so he gathered a few supplies for going to the factory. He called Odd on Thursday who seemed completely oblivious of the events happening around the world. He said he'd come as well but it would delay his arrival in Fiji. Jeremie thanked him for coming along and when he hung up muttered, " Rich bastard. Fiji in the fall."


	2. He's back

Sunday morning came and Jeremie woke up early. By six he had showered, fully dressed, and had eaten breakfast. There was a knock at the door, so he lowered his attention from the news to answer it. " Ulrich, hey. Good to see you." Ulrich had cut his hair short, not passing his forehead. It was obvious he worked out every chance he had because he was very muscular, not ripped, but still pretty impressive.

" Is Odd here yet?" Ulrich asked walking through the front door.

" No but, any time now. Want some coffee?" Odd didn't show up for another twenty minutes. Ulrich answered the door and Odd was there. Parked in the driveway was his new car and he was still wearing his sun glasses. His hair was still the way it was so many years ago, just not nearly as long, or purple.

" Good morning Ulrich. So who called this meeting." He hugged Ulrich and walked in to see Jeremie in the kitchen, so hugged him too. Aelita woke up from the last door bell and was walking downstairs. They were just leaving when Jeremie looked behind him and saw his wife.

" Well be back soon, I promise." Aelita walked to him and hugged him digging her face into his shoulder. She seemed to be crying.

" I really don't want you to go but, I don't see an option around it."

" If it is xana, we could just shut him down again. We'll be back in an hour." She kissed him deeply and walked back upstairs, looked back at Odd which she didn't know why she did, then walked into the hallway. She hadn't seen in over a year, so it was nice to see him again. They all left in Odd's car because it was blocking the others in the driveway. The factory was a five minute drive and they were soon standing in front of it.

* * *

" Seems like yesterday," said Ulrich looking at the abandoned factory.

" Let's do this quickly so I can go to Fiji next week, and Ulrich can play on Saturday."

Ulrich shook head in disbelief at how many times he'd heard about it, shrugging it off knowing very well it was true from time to time. He walked to the steep ledge and saw that the ropes were still in place. Ulrich and Odd leapt of the edge, grabbed the ropes and swung, landing next the elevator. Too much like old times. Jeremie just slid down and walked over. That was when he saw a gun at the back of Ulrich's waist.

" Why did you bring a gun?" Jeremie asked him.

" Look I hope the blackouts are just a fluke like everyone else, but if it is xana, we might need it down there." Jeremie hated guns though he owned one that he kept in the top of his closet, but he knew Ulrich was right. If xana really is awake again then going to the factory is definitely a trap.

" Alright. Well here we go." Jeremie hit the down button and the elevator hummed to life then began to move. It stopped at the lab where Jeremie walked out and said, " I'll monitor from here when you turn it on, I'll do a quick system scan to find anything unusual."

" See you in a bit Einstein," said Odd as the elevator slowly closed.

Ulrich and Odd were silent as the elevator moved down toward the system's core. Their hearts were racing as the doors opened. They stepped into the core and saw the switch was still down and lights were off. " Turn it on and let's figure out what's going on topside." Jeremie's voice said over the intercom.

" Well the intercom's still up, go ahead Ulrich." said Odd, who didn't want to be the one the restart the super computer. Ulrich walked over and began to reach for the switch, and noticed he was hesitating. He shook off his fear for a moment then began to reach again, his hand shaking, and his palms sweaty. He gripped the handle and thrust it up. Instantly the room lit up and a loud humming filled the room. Jeremie was in the lab looking at the information move across the screen.

His scan took less than a minute but when it was finished he smiled and said, " xana's gone, readings normal, turn it off and let's go home."

" Told you, just a fluke," said Ulrich as he reached for the handle again. When he touched it he was knocked back and Odd saw a black smoke enter Ulrich's body. He was on the ground holding his head his body shaking.

" Ulrich!" Odd shouted moving towards his friend.

The entire thing took less than five seconds but for Odd, it never ended. Ulrich stood up and Odd saw what he feared he would see in Ulrich's eyes. The symbol was in his eyes, the eye of xana. Xana pulled the gun from Ulrich's waist and aimed it at Odd who stopped and pleaded , " Ulrich don't." Xana fired and Odd hit the ground hard. Jeremie jumped when he heard the gun shot and began to panic when he heard a second. He typed fast and pulled up a video screen of what was happening below him.

Jeremie gasped when he saw both Odd and Ulrich on the ground not moving. He sprinted to the elevator and pressed the button several times due to his panicked state of mind. The elevator arrived below and Jeremie ran over to Ulrich who was laying face down. He saw the gun in his hand with smoke still coming out of the chamber, and blood all around his body. He was dead. Jeremie flipped him over and saw that he was shot in the head.

" Jeremie," Odd managed to say across from Ulrich.

" Odd," Jeremie said as he ran over to his friend who was holding his hand hard against his shoulder. " What happened?"

" Xana's still alive. He possessed Ulrich then shot me, then shot Ulrich."

" Where is he now?"

" Gone, he's free again," He shook his head and said, " Good thing he's a bad shot, got me in the shoulder. What about Ulrich?" Jeremie didn't say anything just lowered his head so Odd wouldn't see him crying. It wouldn't matter Odd was tearing some too. Ulrich was dead, and xana was free to cause hell all over again.

* * *

A week later they held his funeral in a park that was near his house. Everyone he knew was gathered around his casket as a priest began reading lines from a bible. Xi and his brother Justin stood next to Yumi who was showing emotion. They had never seen their mother cry. Aelita was standing next to Jeremie, crying on to his shoulder. Odd was next to Sissi who was doing the same on to his. Some of the classmates from Kadic years ago were there. Ulrich's parents were there as well, his mother crying and his father trying to hold back tears as he comforted his wife.

They lowered his casket into the ground and the people walked away each dropping something on the casket as they walked by. Yumi, Jeremie, Aelita, Odd, Sissi and the kids were the last to leave the grave. Jeremie couldn't help but think it was his fault. Odd threw in a soccer ball, Jeremie threw in a split picture that was both their weddings, the left side Yumi in her white dress and Ulrich in a tux, Jeremie and Aelita the same on the right. Aelita threw in a video that she made years ago at one of Ulrich's soccer games. Sissi threw in a note that was written in bold letters saying, " _Sorry about my obsession, Sissi_."

Yumi threw in the smallest object but the most meaningful, she threw in a note like Sissi but it was written in Ulrich's hand writing and was twenty five years old.

" _I wanted to do this next to you but the circumstances won't allow me. You know I'm not good with words so I figured writing it would be easier. Right now we're a country apart and it feels like half of me is missing. So when we see each other again, I want your answer to this question that I should of asked when we parted last year. Yumi Ishiyama, will you marry me. P.S. I hope I spelled that right._"

Together the group walked away and made their way to their cars. " Yumi," Jeremie began not looking at her, " It was my fault, I should have never..."

" Jeremie stop," interrupted Yumi. " It wasn't your fault, or Odd's, or Ulrich's. Xana killed him. He would have went alone if you didn't go with him. If anything, you did the right thing. You guys were just protecting our families, making sure we never have to drag our children into this battle." That made Jeremie feel better, much better. She wasn't angry with him or anyone. She was angry at xana.

" Are you going to alright." Jeremie asked.

" I'll manage."

" If you need anything..."

"I know, I know. Thank you Jeremie. The kids will spend the rest of the week with me and then I'll send them back to the academy so you can torture them with physics." Jeremie managed a slight laugh and they hugged. Yumi started her car with Xi and Justin and drove off.

Justin was in the back behind Yumi and Xi was in the passenger seat. The car ride was uneventful. No one talked, though everyone had something to say. Xi and Justin were confused, how did their father die, she said he was shot but, why and where?

" Your not telling us something mom." Xi finally said, sounding almost angry.

" What do you mean?" Yumi asked, knowing very well what he was talking about. She was avoiding the question.

" You said he was shot. Why was he shot. Line of fire, pissed someone off. Why?" Xi asked, not noticing he was shouting.

" Wrong place at the wrong time, and we'll leave it at that." Xi just crossed his arms and leaned into his seat not satisfied with her answer, but knew talking to her would only bring about more questions.

" Mom, I'm hungry," Justin said from the back seat.

" Alright honey, well stop on the way..." but she never finished the sentence.

At that instant Xi looked over his shoulder at his mother and saw a truck was going to hit them and shouted," Mom look out!"

The truck hit them hard and sent their little car flipping to the side, all air bags deploying. They flipped five times before the car was about to flip for a sixth time then slowly fell and landed on the cars back. Xi opened his eyes and looked around him to see glass everywhere and could feel blood running down his face. He was dangling from his seat belt and could barely breath let alone keep his eyes open. He looked to his left and saw his mother. Her eyes were open, but she wasn't looking. She was dangling lifelessly next to him. Xi couldn't stop looking into her eyes. He knew what it meant. She was dead. He tried to turn his body to find his brother but he couldn't move his body, painfully finding out some of his rips were broken. He couldn't stay awake any longer and closed his eyes.


	3. The truth be told

When Xi awoke he was in a hospital bed, covered in bandages with blood being pumped into him. The room was bright and he lifted his arms to block the light. He heard a voice and turned to see a curtain and two doctors standing behind it talking.

" Poor kid, fourteen years old and loses both parents in a week. What about the brother?"

" He died three hours ago. He was bleeding internally. What about the mother?"

" The mother, she was dead when we arrived at the crash. Somewhere in the crash she broke her neck. The kid only lived because he was on the right side of the car."

" I have to check on him, and... tell him as well." One of the doctors walked out from behind the curtain and saw Xi awake and said, " Oh your awake Xi. How do you feel." Xi shook his head as if saying, ' What the hell do you think.'

" Well you broke two of your right rips, and one of your left. Also your lower right arm was fractured and you suffered a concussion. You'll be in bed for a week but you'll live."

" What about my brother and mother?" he asked, hoping after what he saw and heard, he saw and heard wrong.

" I hate to tell you this, but they both died in the crash. Now if you have any questions we have a psychiatrist who will be happy to help you."

" I don't need a psychiatrist. Who's paying for my treatment?" Xi asked, figuring with his parents dead someone had payed to keep him alive.

"A man named Odd Della Robbia. We have a lawyer here who has to ask you questions about who you'll be living with after you leave Kadic." A man with a briefcase walked in and the doctor left the room. His parents lawyer.

" Good afternoon. After your parents deaths we have to know who'll have legal custody over you until your eighteen." He pulled out a few sheets of paper and continued, " It says here your parents filed your godparents as Jeremie and Aelita Belpois correct?"

" Yes," Xi answered, he knew that much.

" Now do you have any closer relatives like aunts and uncles?"

" I have an uncle who lives in Japan, but I seriously don't want to go to Japan. My mother's parents are there as well, and my father's parents are in Germany."

" Have you decided on the Belpois'?"

" I guess, give me the sheet so I can sign it." The lawyer handed Xi the sheet who looked at the writing then signed it were it said child's name.

" Alright, one second I need to have the Belpois' sign as well. Jeremie, Aelita we need you in here." A moment later the two walked in and Xi saw that they had both been crying. Two friends in a week. " He has decided to hand his custody over to you, if you wish to take him, sign here." They both signed and the lawyer stood up and said, " That's that. Good luck, and I'm very sorry." The lawyer left the room and Odd senior walked in. His usual smile was missing and replaced with a sad expression.

" Are you going to be alright," Aelita asked, looking at Xi who was laying up with his hands in his lap.

" The bones will heal," He answered keeping his down.

" I meant emotionally." He didn't answer. Just kept his head down looking away. That answered her question.

" I'll manage." he said aloud looking up finally. " When can I get back to school?"

" When your physically able to," Jeremie said. " Until then, rest. If you need anything, we're a call away."

After a moment they began to walk out before Xi asked," Why was my father shot?" They all stopped not expecting this question so early. They all looked at him. Xi could tell they all knew the answer but wouldn't tell him. " Great, if my mother wouldn't tell me, why should I expect you to. Just go forget I asked." Jeremie wanted to tell him, but couldn't force himself to do it so walked out.

They all got into the hallway and Aelita said,"He has a right to know. The crash wasn't an accident either. He's not stupid he knows something isn't right."

" Aelita. You remember when we shut down the computer and xana with it. We all swore in the future we would never bring our kids into this," Jeremie said turning to face her.

" Of course I remember. But xana killed his entire family, it's a little late to say he isn't involved."

" I agree with her Jeremie," Odd began, " We can't leave the kid in the dark on this."

Jeremie began to pace around thinking of a reason why they should hide the truth, he found none. " I'll tell him, but not now. I want him to at least be in the lab when I tell him." Aelita nodded. They walked away from Xi's room and Jeremie began to run through his head how he should tell Xi. This wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

The next morning Xi rang for a nurse and asked if she could get him a newspaper. She came back a minute later and he looked an the front page and saw it right away. On the front page next to an article about the blackouts, was one about the crash.

" _The crash killed two people, the mother Yumi Stern age forty-four, and her eleven year old son, Justin Stern. Fourteen year old Xi Stern had survived because the truck struck the left side of the vehicle, and he was on the right. The family was reported to have been ironically leaving from the father's, Ulrich Stern's funeral. The family had the right of way and the truck hit them going sixty mph. One piece of information that has the police baffled, is that after they checked the camera placed on the traffic light, no one was seen in the driver seat of the truck before or after the crash._"

Next to the article was a picture that showed both cars moments before the crash, and sure enough the driver seat of the truck was unoccupied.

Xi returned to Kadic a week later, still beat up but able to walk on his own. Odd dropped him off at the school, and said he had to go to a hotel for the time being until this situation was under control. He limbed across the campus, with people staring at him as he walked by. They all had read the newspaper and knew what happened to his family. No one approached him because no one would know how to start a conversation, he didn't mind because no one really approached him anyway.

" Xi!" Odd jr shouted as he ran towards him. Soon he was standing next to him. " How do you feel?"

" In which way?"

" Both?"

" I'll be out of the casts in two weeks, the other I'm not sure. Time will help I guess." Odd jr hugged him quickly and said,

" Life isn't very fair, but at least we still have you. Let's go to class, these people starring at you are freaking me out. And my dad is very nice isn't he. Didn't even say hi."

* * *

A month later, Xi was no longer the number one topic at Kadic. The entire school still felt pity for him though, but for the most part, people talking about him stopped and rumors died down. He was free of the casts and was exercising again. Xi found it strange that Odd jr still was dating Julie after so long.

It was a Thursday when during third hour the bell had just rang and the class was leaving when Jeremie asked, " Xi, could I talk to you for a moment?"

Him and Odd jr were at the door then Odd jr said," Meet you there."

The classroom was empty except the two and Xi stood there waiting for Jeremie to begin. " Do you still want to know what happened to your parents?" He asked. Xi heart began to beat faster, finally some answers. He nodded. " Then meet me at the abandoned factory after school. You can't leave the campus without permission and the administrator won't give me it. So in the park near the wall of the gate is a manhole. Take that down and follow the arrows on the walls. Climb up and you'll be right outside of the factory."

" Why don't you just tell me now?"

" I need to show you as well. You can go now." Xi walked out of the room still questioning but at least knowing he'd find out later.

The final bell rang and Xi ran to his dorm and quickly put his stuff away and ran to where Jeremie had instructed. He found the manhole easily so climbed down, checking around first to be sure no one was watching. Following the arrows sounded easy enough, but he was surprised to see three rusty skateboards and two scooters laying next the wall. He found the skateboard in the best condition and used that. Soon he was climbing up a ladder and removing the sliding door. Jeremie was right and he was now outside of the factory. He looked around and saw Jeremie's car parked across the street.

Xi walked to a ledge, looked down and saw Jeremie waiting for him next to an elevator. He saw a rope dangling from above and took a running start, jumped, grabbed the rope, and swung down landing next to Jeremie.

" Do you have any idea how much you're like your parents?" Jeremie asked after Xi swooped down. " Come on." They walked into the elevator and Jeremie pushed the button and they started to descend down.

" Where are we going?" Xi asked leaning against the wall.

" You'll know soon enough." The door opened and Jeremie stepped out and typed in a code next to another door. The door slid open and Xi took his first step into the lab. He stopped and tried to think about what it looked like. Xi looked at the roof then the floors, the walls, the computer terminal and the large holosphere in the center.

" Where are we?" Xi asked still admiring the room.

" This is the lab. When I was teenager this is where we fought him, or it I should say."

" Fight who?"

" Xana. Before you ask, Xana was a program, a virus. About forty years ago a man named Franz Hopper built this computer and a alternate world with it. The world is called Lyoko. Lyoko and Xana were created to stop a government military program called Carthage, which could dismantle communications. Over the years xana grew stronger and smarter, soon acting on it's own."

" Wait a minute you fought xana? It's a computer?" Xi asked, thinking it sounded strange.

" I understand why this is unusual to you. Eventually the government found out about his operations and came to arrest him. He ran to the scanners, another program he created to physically enter Lyoko. Hopper and his daughter hid out in Lyoko until the government found the computer then shut it down."

" So why is that a problem now?"

" Ten years later, Odd senior, your parents, and I found the computer on accident, and turned it back on. We would have turned it off, but we met someone who was in the computer but couldn't get out."

" Hopper?"

" No, Aelita."

That surprised Xi. He looked at the holosphere then back at Jeremie. " Wait, your wife Aelita?"

" One and the same. I didn't want to shut it down, I'd lose her. That's when things got complicated."

" Let me guess. Xana."

" Correct. During their hiding Xana took control of Lyoko and eliminated Hopper. So we had to fight Xana from th inside as well. We used the scanners to enter Lyoko." For the next two hours, he told Xi everything about the computer. About trying to materialize Aelita. How they managed to materialize her, but the virus that kept her linked to xana, and left off were they found out it wasn't a virus.

Xi was almost laughing at the irony of looking for an antivirus for so long only to find out it wasn't a virus. " So when you were fifteen, the team managed to trap xana in the computer and shut it down."

" Yeah, it was over we finally won. We began to live normal lives again. It was good timing we all had a few more years together before high school was over. Without xana bothering us we had time to notice other things."

" Like each other?"

" As an example yes I suppose. We already noticed each other it was only then we had time to do more than notice."

" Alright. Do you have any idea how bullshit that sounds."

" I'm quite aware."

" Just checking. So xana killed them, both of them."

" Yes." Xi took a deep breath trying to get the thoughts of death out of his mind.

" Tell me more about lyoko." Xi said looking at he image the holosphere was projecting.

" I could tell you. Or I could show you."

* * *

Xi was in the scanner room a minute later waiting for the scanner to open. A moment later it opened and Xi was greeted by a bright light from the inside. " Step inside, and try not to move." Jeremie's voice said over the intercom. Xi stepped in and the doors shut behind him. The scanner grew very bright and Xi could feel himself lifting off the ground. It grew even brighter, making Xi close his eyes.

Xi opened his eyes when the sensation stopped and he fell to the ground. He looked around the area he was standing in and thought, ' impossible.'

" Welcome to lyoko. Your in the desert sector one of the five. The others are the forest, ice, mountain, and lastly sector five." Xi heard Jeremie and then began to look what he was wearing. Black tights neck and down under an yellow/orange tunic that went half way down his thighs. Around his waist was a belt that held a sheath and a katana.

" What am I wearing?" Xi asked looking at himself.

" That's what your father wore when he was virtualized into Lyoko. It should have randomly uploaded something for you, but I guess the system thought you were your father. Are you good fighter?"

" I practice. Why?"

" I can simulate a battle for you. You could have some fun release some frustration."

" Do it."

" Difficulty one through ten?"

" Ten." Jeremie wanted to convince him otherwise but knew he wouldn't change his mind.

" Things to look out for. Lasers; don't let them hit you. Your target is a symbol that looks like an eye and your powers in lyoko when in that form."

" What powers?"

" You can move at super speed, and clone yourself. Be carful with the clones you lose one life point per clone, unless you fuse them back together. To clone yourself shout triplicate. To make them come back shout fusion. Got it?'

Xi stood there listing to a voice without a source explain to him these things. " Yeah I got it. Simulate."

" Get ready, you have a hundred life points make the most of them. In five, four, three, two, one." Three large black spheres appeared and had trapped Xi in a triangle.

" That's it?" Xi asked a little disappointed.

" No of course not. Four crabs, twenty hornets, and four tarantulas come with the package."

" Four what?"

" You'll see. And look out, the tanks are about to fire." As if on cue the three tanks split and began to charge for a blast. They fired and Xi dove out of the way of all three as their beams hit where he was standing. He drew the sword on his belt and held it horizontally in front of him to watch the movement of enemies behind him. The tank closest to him began to charge and Xi began to charge it. It fired and he spun around the shot and jumped, surprised at how high he could and stabbed the tank in the eye of xana. It blew up and Xi stood there looking at where it was.

"Hey I did it." He was hit in the back by a laser from a tarantula, knocking him to the ground. Xi flipped to his back and began to deflect the beams from the tarantula. One beam he deflected hit it square in the eye and it blew up as well.

" Carful you have eighty life points left." Another tank fired and Xi was hit hard and fell into the digital void.

Jeremie watched from the computer as Xi was hit into the void and shouted, " Shit." He desperately type as fast as he could without error and was mumbling to himself, " Please still be here, please still be here." He found the program he wanted to and activated it quickly. Placing the head set on the on the keyboard he ran to the elevator and took it to the scanners. Xi was sitting on the hatch in the center of the room with his arms hanging down.

" Did I just get a game over?" Xi asked standing up.

" Next time, stay away from level ten." He checked his watch and said, " It's getting late, you should get to your dorm before they start patrolling the campus." They took the elevator to the surface and parted at the bridge. " Xi, you can't tell anyone about this. The computer, lyoko, xana, any of it."

" Who'd believe me?" he asked as he moved down into the sewer and shut the sliding door behind him.


	4. Never made it home

Xi pushed up the manhole in the park of the school and looked around for anyone. When he saw the coast was clear he pulled himself up and ran to the dorms. Opening the door he carefully made his was up to the third floor saying to himself, " Why do I have to be on the third floor?" Without detection Xi slipped into his room, Odd jr jumping and turning around from the chair of his desk.

" Where have you been, you missed dinner?" He asked and little angry, but really happy at the same time.

" Don't worry about it, why are you so happy?" he asked noticing he was.

" Because I'm free!" he shouted, falling onto his bed. " Julie finally ended this relationship. Why are you late?"

" I found out why my dad was shot," Xi answered, getting Odd jr's attention. " He was possessed by a super computer virus that made him shoot himself." For the next hour Xi told him everything about the computer and everything else that implied on that subject.

" Why should believe you?" Odd jr asked after hearing this news.

Stealing a line from Jeremie, Xi answered, " I can tell, or I can show you."

* * *

About ten minutes later Odd jr was in the scanner as Xi began to virtualize him. Odd jr jumped in, in a heartbeat because the way Xi explained lyoko. It sounded like a video game.

Falling down and landing on his feet, Odd jr examined his new form and said, " What the hell is this shit, I'm a cat. A big purple cat with a little dog on my chest."

" To make you happy, it makes you fast, nimble, have good reflexes and you can shoot arrows from your arm," Xi said.

" Cool," Odd jr answered, looking at his arms. " Um... How?"

" Say laser arrow and point your arm."

" Laser arrow." nothing happened and Odd jr just stared at his arms. " What's the deal?"

" Try again. This time visualize it."

" Laser arrow!" he shouted with still no response. " Laser arrow!" again nothing. " Laser arrow! Laser Arrow, LASER ARROW! Shoot dammit, laser arrow." A arrow shot from his arm and hit a large rock near him. " Sweet. Can I fight monsters?"

" Sure I'll start a simulation for you," Xi answered typing in a few things to start that program. Not caring about the difficulty, Xi put it on ten and hit begin.

Three tanks landed around Odd jr and began to fire. Odd jr jumped out of the way and fired hitting one tank and destroying it. Jumping over one he fired from above and destroyed another. Another fired and he spun around the beam and fired three times, one reaching it's target. The hornet shot, and Odd jr jumped behind a rock, guarding him from the blast. After the hornet was finished and jumped from behind the rock and before he could fire was bombarded with lasers and was devirtualized before he hit the ground. Odd jr and Xi went back to their room, knowing they had class tomorrow.

* * *

Jeremie was spending most of free time in the lab, trying to discover xana's next move. Through his time he didn't find any clues to another attack, but did discover something new about the computer he never knew existed. For two weeks he studied it's properties and kept his findings in a detailed report. After saving the last file in the report, he titled it ' Last words,' and left for home late at night.

* * *

Odd Della Robbia senior was asleep in his hotel room when his cell phone on his night stand rang. Slowly he pulled himself together and looked at who was calling, " J and A home." He pressed answer and asked, " Yeah?"

" Odd," Aelita started to say but it was hard to understand her because she was crying. " It's horrible. '_sob_' he's, he's, '_sob_'.

" Aelita calm down. What's happened?" asked Odd in a soft voice.

" Xana got him, '_sob_'. He's dead. ' _sob_'. Jeremie is dead." Odd almost dropped the phone in shock. He was starting to feel a little better about Yumi and Ulrich but now Jeremie.

" Aelita, stay there I'll be right over." Odd said rubbing his eyes in anger and sadness.

" Thank you Odd." She hung up the phone and kept crying. Odd punched his pillow to stop himself from breaking something. waking up Sissi who was sleeping next to him.

" What's wrong honey?" She said in a tired voice.

" Aelita just called. Jeremie's dead."

" What? How, when?"

" She didn't say. I'm going over there now. I don't want her to be alone through this."

" I'll go too." They got dressed and drove to the Belpois' residence and knocked. Aelita opened the door and they came in and sat in the living room while Aelita told them what happened, still crying. Xana caused another crash, this time by possessing Jeremie's car and driving it off the bridge and into the river. Aelita was crying while Sissi held her, Odd trying to figure out how to bring the news to Angela. He'd have to figure out fast. Aelita's crying had woken up Angela who walked into the living room.

" What's going on?" she asked after seeing her mother crying and guests in the house.

They all looked at her and Odd walked to Aelita and said, " I'll tell her. Angela come with me into the kitchen." He walked into he next room and Angela followed looked back at the women on the couch.

" Why is my mom crying like that, what happened?" She asked, hoping it wasn't too bad.

" This may sound cold but there isn't a way I could tell you this that you wouldn't feel any more or less upset. Your dad just died." It hurt Odd every time he had to be reminded. Angela froze. Odd expected this. She was thirteen, how should she react after hearing news like that.

" No," was all she could say. " No your lying."

" Why would I lie about that, have you seen your mother. No one is lying to you." She was hoping to deny it, but she had seen her mother. She knew it had to be true. Her father was dead. Before she could stop herself she began to cry uncontrollably. She hugged Odd and pressed her face into his chest, soaking his shirt in tears. He rubbed her back as she cried on him then let him go and ran into her room. Odd walked back into the living room and placed his face into his palms and began to shed his own tears. Everyone else was starting to effect him.

* * *

Aelita and Angela took off school and work that day, Kadic understanding why. The next day they went to kadic and try to act natural. The entire school knew about Jeremie. The administer made an announcement and for the most part the entire school was grieving. Though not very many people were crying but they were sad, even the kids who claimed to hate Mr. Belpois were realizing how much they really missed him.

The staff helped Aelita through the day but Angela was still emotionally shattered and hadn't recovered any from the moment she found out. She didn't want to see her friends who'd just say, " I'm so sorry." and let her cry into their shoulder while they rolled their eyes. She was in the park sitting against a tree with her head down, when Xi walked by with Odd jr waiting for the bell to ring.

Xi saw her and said, " I'll meet in class, I'm going to try to talk to her."

" Good luck." Odd jr walked to his first hour as Xi walked over to Angela.

" Need someone to talk to?" he asked squatting next her.

" I just need to be alone, okay."She answered not looking at him.

" Not to be ass but you've tried being alone and obviously it isn't working."

" You don't what it's like!" she shouted at him lifting her face.

" I do. I case you forgot, my entire family died two months ago. I'm not over it but I'm past it thanks to my friends who I let take care of me." He hit a soft spot with those words that to her spoke a truth. She lost one parent and was crying her heart out five times over. He lost both and his only sibling, yet he was in better emotional condition than her. Before she knew it, she stood up and wrapped her arms around Xi and continuing to cry into his chest. Xi cradled her back and softly spoke,

" This may sound cold, but eventually you'll have to stop crying. Now I'm not saying you shouldn't cry, I'm saying if all you do is cry you won't get past this. Try to clear your mind, think of something else besides the pain. The thought should be of your favorite moment with your father, keep that in mind. In time you'll get past this, and not forget what shouldn't be forgotten." She was still crying but not as much now. " What did you think of?"

" My dad teaching me to ride a bike," She began. " I kept falling, and falling. But every time I just kept going at it, with him helping me the entire time. When I managed to do it, I was so happy and he praised my effort. We laughed and I hugged him like I never wanted to let go." She managed a smile just thinking about it.

" A smile, it's as good a start as any. You should clean up before class. No offence but you're a mess." She wasn't wearing makeup that would have smeared but she did need to freshen up. " Just because you're sad doesn't mean you can't look like your usual cute self." She giggled and let him go. " Is it safe to let you be alone for a while?"

" I think so."

" If you need to talk, you know where I'll be." He smiled at her and began to walk away.

" Xi." she said back to him. He stopped and turned around waiting for her to continue. " Thanks." He kept walking away, knowing he'd see her later, they had first hour together. The bell rang and the school came to life, the students rushing to their classes trying not to be late. Xi sat next to Odd in first hour history in the back row left corner. Angela sat in the middle row and before sitting down smiled at Xi making sure he saw her before she turned away.

" What did you say to her?" asked Odd wondering how her emotional condition changed so dramatically.

" What she needed to hear," Xi answered.

" What are you? A philosopher. You're a regular Socrates aren't you."

" No. Just tell them what they need to hear in a soft voice. Comfort them and then give them a moment alone to regain their composure. Pretty simple actually." Simple or not, his words really helped her. She's done her crying, and her condition was getting better as the day pressed on. She wasn't as bubbly as she usually was but it was an improvement. It wasn't going to last.


	5. The love that never was

The day pasted quickly and soon the students were returning to their dorms or going home. Xi was walking back to his room with Odd jr when he saw Angela leaning against her mothers car waiting for her. She saw him and waved for him to come over to her.

Both Odd jr and Xi walked over to her and she asked, " How was your day."

" Alright I suppose, yours," Xi answered, noticed how much she had improved.

" I'm better. Just waiting for my mom. She said she forgot something in her office in the science department. It's been ten minutes, what could be taking her?" Then Xi looked up for moment and saw smoke floating over head. It was pitch black smoke that was coming from somewhere on campus.

" There's a fire." Xi said pointing above them.

" Where's it coming from?" Odd jr asked moving towards the campus. The three began to run toward the campus which the was beginning to crowd with people who noticed the smoke. A minute later they found the source. The science department. It was in flames. No emergency vehicle's had arrived yet, the fire seemed to have just been noticed.

They pushed their way to the front of crowd and Xi saw a teacher and asked," Is anyone in there?"

" Yes, Mrs. Belpois."

" My moms in that!" Angela shouted at the teacher.

Xi ran for the building and the teacher shouted," Mr. Stern, you can't go over there."

" Try me." Xi shot back and tried to open the front door. He gripped the handle only to find out how hot it was and instantly let it go and shouted in pain, kicking the door and looking around for another entrance. Next to the door was a window and Xi looked around for something to break it. Behind him was a large branch that had fallen off a nearby tree. Xi grabbed the branch and swung it hard at the window. It gave the glass a giant crack that repaired itself after the blow Xi had just given it.

" What the hell?" Xi felt where he had hit the glass, not even a scratch. He swung again, and again, and again, but the glass just kept fixing itself. He knew what it meant; xana didn't want Aelita to be saved. He swung a fifth time and the branch broke and the glass fixed itself again. Dropping the half of the branch on the ground and sliding down the wall as the school watched his desperation. Thinking hard and fast, he had an idea, it could have been better but it was short notice.

Xi ran twenty feet away from the building and made a mad dash towards the window, then dove, smashing through the window and hitting the floor in the room scrapping his arm on glass. His arms were bleeding but it was minor scratches, his upper right arm had a piece of glass sticking out of it. Carefully he pulled it out and threw it to the ground. He felt blood running down his face and he felt the source was above his right eye. It was a fairly deep gash but he had to press on.

The fire was everywhere and Xi had to keep low just to breath from the thick smoke. He moved through the main hall checking the room numbers, thinking she'd probably be in her room. The door was shut, but it was weak, so he kicked the door knob and the door swung open and Xi was hit by an extremely hot wave of heat that drove him back. He smashed the glass of a fire extinguisher and shot it the room clearing a path as he moved.

" Mrs. Belpois!" Xi shouted. He found her under a shelf that had fallen and ran over to her. She was still alive, but unconscious.

Xi lifted the shelf off her and dragged her out of the room. Beams of the roof were starting to fall, so now dragging her wasn't quick enough. He lifted from under her and carried her on his back, moving towards the door that he hoped he could get through. The door was to hot to touch, he had to get her out through the window. The smoke was starting to heavily effect Xi, he couldn't take this any longer. They reached the room with the broken window and realized he couldn't carry her out. Standing next to the edge he pulled her off and placed her outside of the window, and pulled himself outside and fell to the ground.

A few teachers from the crowd pulled them away from the building that a minute later caved in. The fire department finally arrived and stopped the fire from spreading to the rest of the school. News reporters had flooded the area, trying to get a good view of the story. Aelita and Xi were put into an ambulance and taken to the hospital. Reports tried to interview Xi as he was escorted through the crowd, the cops pushing the camera's out of his face. They let Odd jr and Angela ride with Xi and Aelita to the hospital as Odd jr called his father and explained what happened.

* * *

Angela, Sissi, and the Odds were in the waiting room waiting to here news on Aelita. The news on the tv was already about the fire.

" I'm here at Kadic academy where a large fire has completely destroyed the science department of the campus. No deaths have been reported, but interviews of several of the students and staff tells us that the schools ninth grade biology teacher Aelita Belpois and a student named Xi Stern have been sent to the hospital. Apparently Xi knowing his teacher was trapped in the building broke through a window and pulled her out, minutes before the roof caved in. Xi is reported to have been injured but nothing serious, but Aelita Belpois was rushed into intensive care. The cause of the fire is still unknown."

Angela turned off the television in the waiting room. Others who were watching were going to complain but after seeing pictures of Aelita on the news then seeing Angela, they knew it was her very distressed daughter who didn't need anymore reminder of her mothers condition.

Xi walked into the room with his right arm almost completely bandaged, and a bandage around his head. " Anything on Aelita yet?" They all shook their heads, and Xi sat down and they waited.

They were in the waiting room for three more hours before a doctor in a white coat walked in and asked," May I please speak to Mr. Robbia?" Odd senior stood and walked into the next room with the doctor. They stood in the hallway next to Aelita's room.

" What's the news?" Odd asked nervously. The doctor didn't answer him immediately, he was trying to think of the best way to tell him whatever news he had. Odd knew this wasn't good.

" Well she was pulled out of the fire in time, the lack of oxygen from the fire isn't what's killing her."

" I don't understand."

" Mr. Stern said when he found her she was under a shelf that fell from the wall. When the shelf landed on her, the impact broke one of her ribs. The rib that broke stabbed her heart and she's now bleeding internally. We did all we could. She's stable for the meantime but probably won't last the night. I'm sorry. We could keep her alive longer by having a machine breathe for her, but she refused. Said she never wanted to rely on a machine." Odd knew why. It was like being trapped on lyoko for her. Odd slid down the wall and pulled his face into his palms. He was the only one left.

Odd couldn't stop himself from crying. He pulled himself back together and asked," Is it alright if I go see her?"

" By all means." He walked past the doctor and into Aelita's room where he saw her laying on bed with a machine monitoring her heartbeat. Blood was being pumped into her and he could see her chest barely rising with every breath. He never wanted to see any of his friends like this. He sat next to her and held her hand.

She opened her eyes and looked at him and asked," Hey Odd, what did the doctor say?"

" He said, he said your, '_sob_' going to be fine."

" You were always a bad liar." she said smiling. It scared Odd how calm she was.

" Before I was actually denying xana being back. Even about Ulrich for a moment. I thought it could be just a fucked up chain of coincidences, but he really is back. Thirty years later and he's back. It wasn't murdering to him, it was revenge. I'm next. He wants me for last, I was the one who tricked him to go back to the computer." He said crying the entire time. " I don't want to be alone."

" Odd please stop crying. I don't want the last thing I see, to be my friend crying. Why don't you tell me one of your horrible jokes."

" My jokes aren't horrible."

" Yes they are scrawny." She was teasing him from things they did at least thirty years ago.

" I'm not scrawny, I'm svelte. And yes I actually do know what that word means."

" What does it mean? I've always wondered."

" Slender and elegant."

" Well you are slender, but elegant is pushing it." Odd managed a slight laugh. He lay his head down next to her and looked at her from a sideways glance. She began to play with his hair. She loved playing with his hair. " I haven't done this for too long. Remember when Jeremie would get angry when I'd play with your hair for too long?"

" Yeah. He said it felt like I was stealing you from him. You always loved him, but I think you loved my hair just as much."

" I can't help it. It's so soft and smooth. I can run my fingers through it all day." Odd, when Aelita was first starting to get addicted to playing with his hair, wouldn't let her do it for long but eventually gave up fighting and would just sit there while she ran her fingers through it. His girlfriends played with his hair, but not nearly as much as Aelita. " Odd, could you give Angela something for me?"

" She's here, why don't you give it to her yourself."

" Could you get her for me, and anyone else who is here."

Odd kissed her on the forehead and said," I'll be back, stay put."

" See, your jokes are horrible." Odd walked out of her room and into the hall taking it to the waiting room. He'd been talking to Aelita for ten minutes at least, the others figured he wanted to be alone with her. Everyone stood up waiting for the news. He just looked down and shook his head.

" She's dead?" asked Angela looking ready to cry.

" She's stable. She could live on her own for another few hours. But she will die." Angela lowered her head as Xi saw tears hit the ground next to her feet. " She want's all of us with her. Let's not disappoint her." The group made there way into Aelita's room, to comfort her in her in final moments. They wanted it to be a happy moment for Aelita so tried not to cry. Angela was in the chair closest to her leaning next her while Aelita held her.

" Odd in the pockets of my clothes is a necklace, could you get that for me?" asked Aelita looking at him. Odd nodded and walked to her clothes and checked her pockets. The First pocket he checked was the right one and pulled out a necklace that had a locket attached to it. He handed it to Aelita who said, " Sweety, do you still want to see what your grandmother looked like?" Angela lifted her head up, and nodded.

Aelita handed her the locket on the necklace and Angela opened it. The locket held two pictures. The first was a family picture with a man his wife and their baby. The wife's hair was pink like Aelita's and the baby she was holding was the same. The next picture was just the wife smiling. She was beautiful. Her hair was longer and was tied into a tail that hung down her shoulder. The wife was Aelita's mother.

" She's gorgeous. Is the baby you?" Angela asked looking at the locket then back at her mother. Aelita nodded.

" It's yours now." Aelita said closing Angela's hand over the locket. " Take care of it for me."

" Thanks mom, I will." Angela put the necklace on and continued to lay close to her mother.

" Xi, thank you. If not for you I wouldn't be here still." She said looking at Xi who was sitting on a chair at her feet. He would've said, ' it was nothing,' but his bandages proved otherwise. Aelita asked Odd jr to come near her to see if his hair was as fun as his fathers, it was. It's why he took hot showers.

The hours were passing, and so was Aelita. Her heart rate was getting lower and she wasn't laughing as much. Not because it wasn't fun, it was because it was hard to. Soon it was the lowest it had been all night. They all knew it wasn't going to be long.

" Angela, I don't want you to see this, so could you please leave the room. I don't have much time. Xi, Sissi, Odd jr, I want to be alone with Odd for a awhile." She hugged Angela as hard as she could and whispered in her ear, " Be strong." They left the room except for Odd who stayed at her bed side holding her hand.

" Why me? I understand not wanting the kids in here but why not Sissi?" Odd asked.

" You know, if nothing would've happened between Jeremie and I thirty years ago, I might of started to pursue you Odd." That caught Odd off guard. He could barely respond.

" Why me?"

" Because you were interesting. Always had something good to talk about, and always never gave up hope. I loved Jeremie then yes, but that didn't mean I couldn't have my little fantasy 'what if,' crush. I liked sitting next to you. The hair was a bonus and worked as an excuse to be next to you."

" Can I ask you question that has nothing to do with this topic then you can continue." She answered with a nod. " Where did you get the locket?"

" After I got my memory back from xana after he stole the keys to lyoko from me, I went back to the hermitage. Because I remembered about the house it was different that time. In what used to be my room I found it in the closet."

" I was just wondering. So you liked me growing up?"

" I admit it. It was a just a crush though. I always wondered how you kissed."

" Why are we talking about this?"

Aelita smiled and said, " I want you to kiss me." Odd laughed, but Aelita looked at him with a strange smile. She was serious.

" Aelita I'm married. Your married even if Jeremie is gone. It's too weird."

" I wanted to know. Give me that at least. Just a little kiss, nothing special." She was looking Odd in the eye now. On normal circumstances he would just say how he couldn't, he's a married man, " blah, blah, blah". For some reason he couldn't turn her down. This was her dying wish, as fickle as it seemed. Because of Jeremie he never really thought about dating Aelita but now he was almost as curious as her.

" Alright. Nothing special." He leaned down next to her and kissed her quickly, she seemed disappointed. " What?"

" That's how you kiss your mother."

" You said nothing special, a little kiss."

" Little was an overstatement for that. At least hold for a few seconds."

" Alright, alright." He leaned down and kissed her again. Aelita kissed him back a little harder, negotiating for more effort. The negotiations worked and Odd pressed his lips against hers. Slowly he lifted his head back and looked back Aelita who still had her eyes shut, and was smiling. " Happy now."

" Very. Thanks Odd. Not just for that kiss, but for everything else you've ever down. I'll never forget it." She was looking at him again, still smiling.

" How are you so calm about this. I'm scared knowing I might die, and your experiencing it right now and doing better than me."

" After Jeremie died, I was thinking when I died I'd try to make it as painless as possible for everyone else. I wouldn't cry or complain. Not like either would bring me back . I see the glass half full. I'll be with Jeremie soon, Yumi and Ulrich too."

" I'm realistic. I don't see a glass half full or half empty. I see it how it is, half."

" I was scared at first, but as it get's closer I calm down. I'm just going to close my eyes now, I'm getting tired." She closed her eyes and rested her head against her pillow still smiling.

Then it happened. The heart monitor began a solid beep as it flat lined across the screen.

Odd kissed her forehead and said, " Goodbye princess." He wiped a single tear from his eye and walked toward the door. The doctor walked in because he had the alert of a flat line and saw Aelita. Odd walked past him and into the hall where the others were waiting for him to come out.

" Is she gone," Sissi asked Odd who answered with a nod and sat in a chair that was against the wall. Odd was smiling and crying at the same time now. She died with a smile. It looked like she was sleeping, having a good dream that she didn't want to be interrupted from. He was happy for her, not very many people die smiling.

* * *

One week later the hurt from Aelita was dying down. Angela was managing with Xi nearby, and Odd was always able to move on. Odd and Sissi were staying at the Belpois' house, but because they didn't own the house Angela had to move into the dorms at Kadic as Odd and Sissi filed adoption papers for custody over Angela and Xi. They bought the house so they could live there and watch over the kids, and for xana at the factory. With both Xi and Angela living at Kadic they became closer than ever. Still when everything seemed quiet, Odd wasn't getting much sleep. He was concerned about xana.

Two weeks had gone by since Aelita had passed. They had finished the paper work on the house, so it was finally theirs. Sissi was out to the store to get some food while Odd waited at the house ready for anything. The door bell rang and he got off the couch and checked the eye slot to see who it was. He saw nothing. " What the hell?" The door smashed open sending Odd flying back and hitting the floor. Standing at he door was Ulrich. Odd knew who it really was, xana." Come to kill me finally?"

" Why would I kill you Odd. I'm your friend."

" Cut the charade. I may be a little slow at times, but I'm not stupid."

" Could you at least make killing you fun?" Xana asked as he approaching Odd as he changed appearance to Yumi. " No, you never take anything serious. Not even my death."

" Shut up!" Xana laugh and changed again into a fourteen year old version of himself.

" I grow up to be you. Can things get worse. Maybe I should kill myself so at least I never have to be you." He turned into a younger Sissi and said, " Yeah maybe you should so when I grow up, I don't breed filth with you." Xana struck a nerve. Odd had heard enough, he rose to his feet and struck Xana in the face. He didn't even flinch. Xana punched Odd through the living room wall and into the kitchen. Odd was almost completely immobilized by the attack, he pulled himself to his feet using the counter.

Xana stepped into the kitchen, now in the form of Odd, " Is this really all I'm capable of. Man being rich really screws with your physical health. Svelte my ass. Going up." He grabbed Odds shirt collar and thrust him up smashing his body against the ceiling. He fell back and xana caught Odd by his ankle hanging him upside down. " The elevator stalled, best take the stairs." He dragged Odd to the foot of the stairs and threw him against the wall at the top. Odd's back was all that was hit so far but he was banged up, trying his best to breath.

Odd amazingly got to his feet and used the wall to support himself as he practically forced himself to get away from Xana. He arrived at Jeremie and Aelita's room and with no wall to support himself. Attempting to even walk he moved into the room and wasn't strong enough. He began to topple forward and slammed through the closet door, shaking the room enough to make objects fall from the top of the closet. A pistol had fallen next to him so he picked it up checking to see if it was loaded. It was fully loaded so he hit the safety off and waited for xana to walk into the room.

Odd heard foot steps and readied the gun to shoot, when Xana walked in as Aelita. He knew it was xana but he hesitated. " Odd why do you have a gun, your not going to shoot me are you?" He fired and Xana fell back to the ground. He changed while he was still down and rose up as Angela, " Why did you shoot my mommy, what did she do to you." He fired two more times and xana fell again and then rose as Xi, " Oh yeah sure, shoot me. Just like you let xana shoot father! You don't care what happens all you want to do is go to Fiji and sun tan!"

"FUCK YOU!" he shot him and kept shooting till the gun was empty. Xana shook his head and changed into Sissi.

" Were you even worried about me. All you care about is your life and grieving over your friends. I'm your wife and you won't even talk to me. I'm not some immature little bitch anymore. I've change over the years but you'll never change. Always you and yours."

" Stop messing with my mind!"

Xana changed into the fourteen year old Sissi and said," You have a mind, well that's funny. I could swear you didn't have one." He turned into a younger Odd and said, " You were to busy looking for yours to care. God my jokes suck. I laugh at them all but in the end I'm like a little dog. Barking, humping everyone's leg begging for attention. Have you seen Kiwi, what he got out and got hit by a car, more death caused by me."

" Your not effecting me." Xana turned into Odd and continue to emotionally crush Odd with his life's regrets.

" I'm not effecting me. Please I'm more emotional than a two year old. I've been crying my heart out for months. Oh, Ulrich, Oh Yumi, Oh Jeremie, Oh Aelita I don't want be alone. Look around you Odd, you are alone." He turned into Aelita and said, " How about a kiss before you go. Put a little more effort into it this time. I want it to get to far."

" Stop it you bastard."

" You know you liked it. If I wasn't dying you'd want more than just a kiss." Xana turned into Odd and said, " You may not be in love with her but you do love her. Not like a relationship between friends. You hope secretly the love builds, and your tempted to let it. That's why you moved three countries away from her. No temptation. You should be used to being alone, you left them. By the way, look out below." Xana made the floor collapse and Odd fell into the living room, landing on the glass coffee table shattering it.

Xana landed next to him and was going to pick him up but his hand began to disappear. " Already out of energy. I was hoping for a little more torture but my time is up, and sadly so is yours." With the hand that wasn't vanishing he turn it into a long sword like appendage and stabbed Odd through the chest. " Your friends were better off with you dead anyway. My times up though, I'll be back once I find another energy source." He vanished into a black mist and Odd lay there, the house destroyed and using the blood from his body to write something on the ground before he painfully and slowly died.

* * *

When Sissi arrived the house was surrounded by police and neighbors watching for a better view of what was going on. She parked her car next the house on the street and an officer walked over to her and said, " Ma'am you can't park there."

" I live here, what happened?"

" Your Elizabeth Robbia?"

" Yes."

" I hate to be the one to tell you this but your husband was just brutally murdered." Sissi's heart sank. Her legs began to shake and she almost fell to her knees.

" What," she said with tears filling her eyes. " My husband is dead. Who did this."

" We have no suspects but by the look of the inside of the house, it was more than one person." 'No suspects. How the hell are there no suspects?' Sissi said in her mind.

" Are there any clues?"

" We have one. Come with me, we need you to identify it for us, because we have no clue what it means." The police office took her into the dismantled house. Forensics officers were carefully looking for any leads to who or what did this to him. The officer showed Sissi what she needed to identify. She had just figured out who did it. On the ground next to the remains of the coffee table was a eye of xana drawn in blood, Odd's blood. " Does it mean anything to you."

" No," she lied. " Nothing at all."


	6. Jeremie's last words

Xi, Angela, and Odd jr were in the boy's room watching a show on tv when it broke off to report an important news break.

" I'm currently outside of a house owned by Odd Della Robbia," the reporter began, instantly catching everyone's attention. " The founder and president of Sound Proof industries, where apparently he was recently murdered in his own home. No suspects have been sighted and only one clue besides a gun and several bullet shells, was this image drawn in blood that was found next to his body." An image of the eye of xana appeared on the screen and Xi looked at Odd jr who looked like he was to break something. " The Police think it is a symbol of a criminal organization. Due to the damage in the house and the amount of broken bones he received the police think he may have been used as a battering ram to destroy his own home."

Odd jr turned off the tv and kicked his bed side and shouted," That son of a bitch!" He knew what the marking meant. Xi had told him, and now Angela was the only one in the dark. Xi had been more focused on helping her than telling her why her mother and father died. It had somehow slipped his mind. There was a knock on the door and they all stopped thinking and Angela opened the door.

Two police officers were outside of the door and when it was opened the important looking one asked," Is Odd Della Robbia jr here." Odd jr came into his view and he looked the picture he was given to find him. " Excuse me son but we need you to come with us. Your father was just..."

" I know, it's already made the news," Odd jr said, gesturing toward the television.

" Well then come with us."

" I'll meet you outside I need to get few things."

" Do it quickly," the officer said then walked away from the door and began to move downstairs.

" I gotta tell them it was xana," Odd jr said when the police were out of ear shot.

" You can't." said Xi.

" Well I'm going to." Xi grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall.

" No your not. They'll find the lab, they'll turn it off. The lab is our only shot at getting back at him." Xi said to him quickly. " It' been hidden for so long for a reason. Telling them now will make our parents efforts pointless."

Odd jr broke his hold and said," Fine my lips are sealed. But you better be right." He walked out of the room and meet the cops outside who drove him to the police department.

* * *

Odd jr was in a small room that had on light hanging from above. A table was all that separated him and a police officer who was fed up with his lies. " What does the symbol mean? I know you know."

" How do you know I know. What are you psychic. If you were you'd hear me saying bad things about you."

" Why are you so annoying?"

" You've asked me the same question thirteen times. I don't know. I've never seen it. No I don't know if my dad has enemies, and every riddle you've said to me, NO!"

" YOUR LYING!" The officer shouted across the table.

Sissi who had been watching the interrogation broke into the room and said," Your not talking to him if you all you'll do is yell at my son. Sweety were leaving, they're letting us go." Odd jr stood up and walked out of the room and they left the station in her car.

During the ride back to the academy Sissi looked at her son and said," Look, I know what happened."

" So do I. Xana right." She almost hit the brake but controlled herself.

" How do you know, and for how long?"

" Xi told me about a month ago. Showed me the lab and even sent me to lyoko." Then she actually hit the brake and pulled to the side.

" He virtualized you. Jesus Christ."

" I think we should go there. Mr. Belpois was working in the lab a lot before he died. Maybe we could get a lead." Sissi held her temples, trying to think. " Come on mom. It's the only place we can look for anything right now."

" Fine, call Xi and Angela. There coming to, tell them to take the sewers and meet us there." Odd jr took his phone out and started to dial.

* * *

Angela and Xi were at the factory when Odd jr and Sissi showed up. They made their way to the elevator and started down, Angela wondering what the hell was so important that Xi need to drag her out of her room past curfew. The elevator door opened and Sissi opened the door to the lab and Angela walked in with wide eyes.

" Where the hell are we, is this still under the factory?"

" Yep it was your grandfather's lab Angela." Xi said as he walked in.

" My grandfather built this?"

" I'll check the computer see if Jeremie left us anything."said Sissi sitting on the chair as it spun around to the computer terminal. She began to type something but stopped when she a folder on the monitor labeled, ' Last Words.'

" Get over here, I think I found Jeremie's clue," Sissi said aloud. They all moved next to Sissi as she opened the file and a video with Jeremie started.

" Who ever is watching this, you either were asked to by me, or I'm dead. I prefer one over the other but if I am dead then, oh well. Before I created this video I had just completed possibly the greatest thing since Aelita's materialization program. When looking for what xana has in store for us I found something that I never knew existed until now. I found what I call, sector six.

It is a sector that time isn't relevant in. I later discovered that this area is what drives the time reversal program. I'm not sure how it operates exactly but I do know it is impossible to go there. It has no solid ground or coordinates. However I discovered it is possible to travel through it and arrive at any point of time that it was still functional. Simply put, I have discovered a way to travel through time itself.

" I came up with a theory that if we could go back into time we could correct what we should of done and save those who shouldn't have died. I know going back in time has no effect on someone who is dead, I'm talking years in the past not just one day. Let's hope changing history proves a little more effective. My plan was to send Angela, Xi, and Odd jr to the year two thousand six and help us fight in that time so in this time we won't have to. It is dangerous and half baked but it's our only chance. Also know that it may be a one way trip. Go prepared, time is endless so you have plenty of it. Angela if your watching this, I hope I'm alive but if not tell your mother I love her, or if she's listening, I love both of you.

" I have everything ready to travel to two thousand six except for enough power. So Aelita, your going to have to active at least ten towers to give this thing enough energy, after that, the program should start taking it from the computer's core and self sustain."

Sissi put her head down in defeat. Aelita was dead, this couldn't work. Now she was going to turn it off when Jeremie continued.

" If Aelita is now not among us, there is still a way to do it, and your it Xi." Everyone tuned and faced Xi who looked as surprised as they did.

" I was checking your information when I saw something interesting about your little scan when you came back that I didn't notice before. When you fell into the digital void, something imprinted it's memory onto you. I looked at the information and saw it was very much like Aelita's. Whatever was left of our dear friend Franz Hopper imprinted his ability to control Lyoko onto you. So you have to activate the towers in Aelita's place. We need ten but I want twelve activated, three per sector.

" These are my final words and now I leave things to you, good luck." Jeremie vanished from the screen and Sissi close the video.

" You heard him Xi, get in Lyoko. We have twelve towers to activate. Honey, go with him." Odd jr and Xi just shrugged and began to move toward the elevator.

" Hey, what do I do," Angela asked

" Stay here and look pretty." Xi said to her.

" You can help me." Sissi offered. Angela shrugged and walked towards Sissi to at least have something to do.

Odd jr and Xi landed in the desert region in pretty much the same location they had trained at. They were surprised to see that what they were wearing was different than the first time they came to lyoko. Xi's outfit was close fit, not tights but close enough to be confused as tights. It was dark blue and maroon, his weapons were two swords placed on his back that intersected each other. He pulled them out to see they were katanas about three feet long each, light weight and great balance. He sheathed his swords and looked at Odd jr who was loving not being a cat.

Odd had six pistils around his waist and was wearing basically jeans and a grey t-shirt. Around his shoulder was a rather large assault rifle. " Sweet, I have guns!"

" Yes, and very limited ammo, make the most us it, xana was expecting you so he sent monsters. The real things to. Xi you mustn't get devirtualized, only you can activate the towers, head east, it's to your right Xi."

The began to run east towards the tower when Xi asked," Do we have any powers when in these outfits."

" Of course, Xi you have camouflage, but when you get hit or move to quickly, your camo will shut off. Odd every time you kill an enemy you gain a ten life points, so recovery. The tower should be in view as well as a five blocks." Xi and Odd jr stopped when they saw the blocks guarding the tower.

" What's the plan?" Odd jr asked Xi who was gone. He saw foot steps being made so just watched the show. Xi crept behind the blocks. He quickly cut the three in the middle with one swing of both swords. The other two woke up and tried to fight but Xi threw his swords at them and they both exploded like the three before them. Odd jr smiled and said, " This is going to be easy."

" Sissi how do I get in?" Xi asked, not seeing a doorknob.

"Just walk into it." He walked towards it with his arms extended and phased through the wall. Xi looked at where he was, a giant hollow tube. He walked into the center and a screen appeared in front of him. One button on the screen said, ' activate' so he pressed it and Sissi's voice said, " Good job, eleven more to go, leave the way you came in and head north."

Within the hour they activated seven more towers without conflict. Xi had just entered the last tower necessary for the forest sector and they were about to move into the ice sector. They arrived quickly and Odd jr was complaining about the temperature. " It's freezing, I'm in a virtual world and yet I feel it."

" Dude, I'm fine," Xi said, showing he wasn't cold.

" What! Your in tights. What the hell is wrong with you?"

" Enough chatting boys, let's do this quick it's been too easy so far." The continued to move and activated two more towers without fighting anyone.

When the last one was coming into view Sissi said," There are three polymorphic clones over there. I'm glad they can't turn into you. Watch your guard."

The clones saw them and the one that was Ulrich's lyoko clone said," So xana's new enemies are more kids, should be annoying."

" I get the cat and the geisha, the samurai is yours." said Odd jr as he lifted the rifle and began to fire at the Odd sr clone. It shielded the bullets, but the shield wore off quickly and he kept shooting the clone till it was destroyed. A razor fan hit the rifle and broke it in half as it vanish.

Yumi's clone caught the fan and said, " Oops." Odd pulled a pistil from him belt and began to fire at her as she somersaulted out of the way and behind a rock. Ulrich's clone charged Xi who just avoided his swings, then after the third swing hit the clone in the stomach and sent him down. He unsheathed his swords and continued to stay on the defensive. The clone swung low, high, left, right, and everywhere in between but couldn't connect anything. Xi after a dodge, had his back to the clone who swung over hand. Xi held one sword above his head and block the attack, sending the other sword into the clones stomach, destroying it.

The Yumi clone jumped from behind the rock and sent a fan flying toward Odd jr. He didn't move and caught the fan with one hand and then shot the fan destroying it. He shot at Yumi who jumped out of the way. Odd followed her and shot her in the leg, then the chest, then the head destroying the clone.

" Stop showing off and move, " shouted not Sissi, but Angela.

" Yes dear." Xi activated the last tower and Sissi brought them home.


	7. Goodbye kiss

Xi and Odd jr took the elevator up to the lab where Sissi was at the computer running through the information just gathered from the jump into lyoko. Angela looked at the screen and wondered how anyone could know what it meant.

" Looking go good so far," Sissi said, turning the chair to face them, " In a few moments we'll have enough power to open the link." An alert came on the screen that confirmed a successful energy transfer.

Another video file appeared on the screen and Jeremie began to talk, " If your watching this it means you've managed to activate the towers and the jump is about to get under way. Before I said I wanted to travel to early two thousand six. Never mind it, it is better to go to the past after xana is free. Many things happened because of that and we're already compromising the future enough as it is. It took him seven months to return so your coordinates will be August tenth, two thousand six, just before the new year of school.

" Who ever is going to take the time jump needs to get adjusted to the area, it's better to fight xana on comfortable ground. In the two drives are Odd jr and Xi's virtualization program, and the sector six communication uplink that you'll need to use in the past to remain in contact. Try to keep your distance from us, as I said earlier we're compromising the future so let's not push it. Again good luck, I left notes in this file so read them."

* * *

Everything was ready for a time jump, except deciding who was going to test the program. Both Xi and Odd jr wanted to go first. They were arguing their points and making Sissi impatient.

" Xi is going first,"She said to them.

They stopped fighting and Odd jr looked at his mother and said," Why does he have to go first?"

" Xi knows how to use the computer. When he gets there he's going to have to upload the link. Do you know how to do that?"

Odd jr shook he head and said," Fine I'll go second." Sissi walked to left side of the elevator door and pressed a button that made shelves fold out of the wall. Placed neatly on the shelves were clothes, blankets, and pillows.

" Sometimes we had to hide out in the lab, so later we created this storage," Sissi explained throwing a bag to Xi. " Pack up, it's going to be a long trip. The clothes are organized by size so it should be easy to find your size. Bring a pillow and blanket you'll be in the lab until the school year starts, watch out for Jeremie he'll be coming and going a lot."

Xi packed, a pillow, blanket, five pairs of jeans, five shirts, ten pairs of socks, and some underwear for the trip. Before he got to the elevator Sissi handed him a card, it was a credit card. " Will it work in that time," Xi asked looking at it.

" It should, I modified so that it would work on any atm or card scanner."

" How much is on it?"

" Forty million, try not to spend it all in one place."

Xi put the card in his pocket and said," I'll try not to. Are we sure we should be doing this. Why us?"

" I think Jeremie thought that you could blend in easier, and you guys weren't targets so you'd have a better chance of still being alive. Good luck kid and be careful about me, I was obsessed with your father so I might be obsessed with you as well. When you get there, first thing hack into some files and create a fake ID for yourself, change your name. You look like your father when he was your age so having his last name won't help any. Sign up for Kadic year two thousand six through two thousand seven, take the classes and wait for xana to rear up his head.

" Try to keep your distance, even the smallest difference in events could change something. Like you might think your parents seem distant but believe me they're not, they'd die for each other at this age, so don't push the relationship, just let it happen."

" I got it, go there, fake id, new name, take the class stay away," said Xi, tired of Sissi talking about what he should do. Sissi hugged him, then let him and let him board the elevator. Before it close, Angela boarded as well. They didn't say anything to each other on the way down, and when the door opened they both stepped into the scanner room where two scanners were open, lights bright inside both of them. Xi figured one of the scanners was for his bag so threw it into the scanner which shut.

Xi turned and faced Angela who was for some reason blushing and looking away from him. " I'll see you when you get there," Xi said to her stepping closer to his scanner.

" Xi," Angela began, now facing him still blushing. " In case this doesn't work and I never get another chance." She was looking at him in a way that made Xi think to himself, 'why is she looking at me like at that?' He received his answer when she stepped next to him and began to kiss him, flinging her arms around his neck and resting them on his shoulders. It took a moment for Xi to shake of the sudden shock before he began to kiss her back, wrapping his arms around her holding her close.

Over the last few months they had almost kissed several times. Angela would lean in for one but Xi would look away and change the subject acting like she never made an offer. It made her angry a few times because she knew, he knew what she wanted. Xi wouldn't kiss because she was still upset about her parents and was more likely to do something bold to get her mind off it. He didn't do it because he felt he was taking advantage of her. Though he still felt like he was, he knew this could very well be their last chance. He'd wanted a kiss too, so this time even his conscience wasn't going to interfere.

Xi had kissed several times before, but something was strange about the way she did it. Kisses usually feel unrehearsed and you need to improvise a lot, Angela seemed to have rehearsed. It was like she didn't care what he did during the act so she'd keep reading her lines no matter what. To Xi is was almost weird. What he didn't know about Angela that this was in fact her first kiss, and she had no idea what she doing. But he did his best not to laugh to himself or seem disappointed.

" Stop making out and get in the scanner," Odd jr's voice said over the intercom who had apparently been watching the entire time. They kept at it while Xi lifted his hand and flipped off the camera and Odd jr. After fifteen seconds of something a little less than magic their lips separated and they stood there, still holding each other. Xi backed up and let his arms slid across her back then let go as he stepped into the scanner.

" I'll see you soon. I promise." The door shut and Xi was now alone about to do the impossible. He had to shut his eyes as the scanner filled with white light, and then something strange happened that usually didn't when he was being scanned. It felt like he was floating. He opened his eyes and what he saw made him silent. It was nothing. It wasn't the fact that it was dark, it was a bright light stretching to every inch of everything he saw.

Xi could deal with the fact that if it was dark he couldn't see anything. It was as bright as the sun and yet nothingness filled everything. He wanted to shout, he couldn't. Then he began to feel like he was being crushed by pressure pushing against him at all angles, taking the air out of his lungs. Soon it was even beginning to hurt. Now he couldn't even breath and he was beginning to freak out. He closed his eyes hard and a second later it all stopped. No more pain, no more floating, and he could breath again.

* * *

Xi slowly opened his eyes and he noticed that he was in the scanner again. He was laying down and he had a sickly feeling through his body as the scanner opened to let him out. Using the opening he pulled himself out, and also used it so he wouldn't fall. The thing Xi hated doing the most happened, he puked. Falling to his hands and knees he vomited on the floor outside of his scanner. After he got it all out of his system he saw that his bag had arrived as well, the bright light of the scanner next to his showing the bag in the same location he put it.

It took Xi a minute to regain his thought about what he doing. He shook of the motion sickness of the sector six time traveling and grabbed his bag, slowly making his way to the elevator, feeling as if any rushed action would invoke another unpleasant stomach event. He hit the red button and the elevator doors shut and he began to ascend up to the lab. The motion of the elevator wasn't helping his stomach so he dropped his bag and leaned against the rail.

Xi was hoping he would see Angela and everyone else but when the doors opened he really knew he had traveled in time. Everything seemed different and younger. It was all so familiar and yet so strangely different. The monitor was there, with the chair that revolved around the room, the holosphere was in it's place. Though the supply shelves weren't there, he wasn't surprised, he knew they were not yet in existence. He was home and yet he wasn't.

Taking his first step into the lab Xi took out the sector six communication program disk and sat in the chair as it revolved and stopped next the computer terminal. The act of moving not on his own still seemed like it would make him puke. He inserted the disk as the computer began to load the program. He typed in a few figures as a loading bar appeared that said below it, 'loading time link, please wait.' Sissi's face appeared on the screen, she seemed to look extremely worried about something that Xi figured was him.

" Xi, you made it. I can breathe finally. How do you feel?" Sissi said with her face lighting up.

" I'm fine. The ride made me lose my lunch but I'm still here."

" Good to hear, I'll start loading the transport program again. Keep the link up."

" Alright no problem." Sissi went away for several minutes before he screen came back up and she seemed angry. " What happened?"

" That son of a bitch set a bug on the program to activate after the first transport."

" What is the bug doing?"

" Interfering the transport of living material through sector six. Simply put."

" I'm alone."

Sissi lowered her head for a moment then looked at him again, " I'm afraid so. The bug's encrypted so deleting it could take a while, it isn't a big one though. I could probably do it in two weeks or less."

" We don't half two weeks. We barely have any time at all."

" I'm sorry xana saw this coming. Now use the computer to get yourself enrolled. We'll talk everyday at twelve until school starts."

" Xi signing off." He closed the program and began a long day of creating a fake id for himself. He had to make a fake id, social security, birth certificate, medical records, and school records. It took him five hours until he finished and used the scanner as a printer to receive his information. When he was walking up to the computer after picking up his fake information he heard the elevator shut and began to move up. Someone was coming down.

Xi swore to himself and began to shove items into his bag. He typed as fast as possible, erasing his history on the computer. The elevator was stopped at the top and was beginning to come down. The computer was finished so he grabbed his bag and began to climb to the rafters above the computer, knowing it was an alternate route into this room. The elevator was docked and about to open he had no time to get to the crawl space so he chucked the bag into it praying it would go in. It slid into the space and Xi quickly lay flat on the rafter and held his breath.

The doors opened and he heard two sets of foot steps walk into the lab. Even with the risk of being found he looked down and almost feel. It was his mother and Aelita. Not them as he knew them, they were kids his age. Aelita was as cute as Angela was, and his mother was skinny and tall with short black hair that reached her neck. She was wearing all black as well. Aelita sat at the computer and began to check something. After she had done what she needed to do she took out her pink cell phone and began to dial a number.

" Jeremie," she began, " The computer hasn't picked up anything today, still no sign of xana." She paused and let him speak then said, " I know, it's weird. He's free so why isn't he using his freedom, it's like he became weaker or something. Well nothing here we'll check tomorrow as well. Bye." She hung up her phone and placed it in her pocket, leaning back into the chair taking a deep breath.

" You okay?" Yumi asked leaning over from above the chair. " You need to get some sleep. You're turning into Jeremie when he was trying to find your antivirus."

" I know, it's just this is much bigger than an antivirus to cure a virus I never had. I feel like we're fighting a losing battle."

" Be optimistic. It's the only reason we're still alive. Maybe your right, maybe xana is weaker. But either way can we go back to my house, my moms making us lunch."

" Sounds good. It'll keep my mind off what's really going on." The two of them walked into the elevator that closed and began to move up. Xi took a breath and lost his balance falling from the beam and landing on his feet. Using the computer to finish his work, he enrolled himself at Kadic and had to attend a meeting to give them a copy of his records. The meeting would be in three days so he had plenty of time to do other things.

Xi slept in the crawlspace in case anyone came into the lab for any reason. He actually didn't find it that uncomfortable. It was fairly large with enough room for him and his bag's width though he didn't sleep next to it. Though in the morning he forgot where he was and hit his head on the roof above. He would have said something to hurt the roofs feelings but he heard voices in the lab. He crawled to the ledge and saw Aelita running through some figures then leaving the computer and heading toward the elevator. It went up and she was gone.

Xi climbed down and checked the time on the computer. It was eleven forty seven so he began to load the communication program. Sissi's face appeared on the screen. She seemed surprised that the link was opened so early but was happy.

" Good morning Xi sleep well." It was almost noon and yet Xi looked like he had just woken up, but since he had he didn't care how he looked.

" I don't feel nauseated anymore, now did you get anything on the bug?"

" Sure did. The encryption isn't as complicated as it seemed, I'll have it done before the end of the week so you and Angela can continue your brief romance."

" Alright and you were wrong about Jeremie. He's not in the town. Aelita and Yumi are checking the computer everyday so last night I had to sleep in the crawlspace. Why is Aelita still here, school's over."

" Well keep your head down, and Aelita doesn't have anywhere to go so she took a summer course at Kadic so she'd have a place to live for the summer. Besides the factory of course."

" Okay. I'm going to go out for a while. Claustrophobia is starting to affect me."

" Be careful." Xi disconnected the link and leaned back feeling a little better knowing he'd have company soon. He climbed back into the space and took some clothes out of the bag and changed, taking the elevator to the surface. The inside of the factory looked the same except that it wasn't as decayed. He climbed up the rope and walked into the familiar town that he was expecting to be different. It was almost exactly the same.


	8. Wait? Your not Ulrich

Xi had been through the city several times, sneaking out almost every weekend with Odd jr to go see a movie or get some lunch. They'd bring their occasional girl friends with them for the days events. The movie theater was still there, as long with many of the restaurants. The bowling alley was still there, as was the pool. To think people in this time think in thirty years there would be flying cars space colonies, and other impossibilities. He wasn't too surprised by that mistake because in the seventies people thought the same thing about the new millennium.

Feeling his stomach growl, he began to look for his favorite restaurant, and in a matter of minutes he found it. It was local place that was a Japanese restaurant. He may have inherited his fathers looks, but he got his mothers appetite. After a quick lunch he noticed he didn't have much more money left, then remembered the credit card Sissi gave him and went straight for an atm. She didn't him the pin so he guessed four zeros and was right. He found a gym he didn't need a membership to use so went back to the lab carefully and took some clothes with him so he could work out and take a shower.

Before Xi got to the gym, he bought some exercise shorts and shoes with the two hundred he withdrew from the account. He changed when he got to the gym and the first thing he did was begin to release some frustration on a hanging bag. No matter how long or hard he hit it, he didn't get tired, just more motivated to hit it. After ten minutes of punching and kicking the bag, now starting to use the fighting style pencak silat on it.

" Someone's angry," a voice said from behind him. " Your hitting it like a maniac. Was that pencak silat?"

" Yes it was, I'm not angry just a little aggravated," answered Xi turning to face the person talking to him. He got nervous when he faced her. It was his mother wearing black shorts, a gray t-shirt and exercise gloves.

" Where did you learn it. I've only know two others who practice it?"

" My father taught me it. It's a little off because I mixed it with ninjitsu that my mother taught me. They're martial artist."

"Cool. What's your name because you remind of one of my friends?" Yumi asked, because looking at Xi made her think about Ulrich. He almost said, ' Xi.' but he remembered that on his fake information he changed his name.

" Travis, and yours."

" Yumi Ishiyama. It's Japanese."

"Neat," If her name didn't give it away her face did. He continued to punch the bag and Yumi walked around the front of it looking at him.

" Not a talker are you?"

" Depends on the topic. Punching bags don't really whip me into a verbal frenzy."

" What do you like to talk about?" She asked, hoping to learn more about this interesting stranger.

" Silence."

" Never mind then. I could hold the bag for you."

" I prefer to just let it swing. You couldn't hold it against me anyway."

" Yes I could." Yumi shot back, never liking it when someone told her she wasn't able to do something.

" Alright whatever." Yumi held the bag solid for a minute before Xi actually began to start using real punches. She noticed he kicked much harder than he punched, one kick making her fall to the ground on her back. " Told you."

" Okay so your strong. I bet your not fast though."

" I beat school speed records in track."

" So do I." A minute later they were on the track on the outside of the gym that was a quarter of a mile long.

" One lap. Start when the rock hits the ground." Yumi said as they lined up on the track picking up a rock. She threw it high in the air and when it hit the ground they both took off sprinting down the track. Xi didn't exactly leave her in the dust though he was ahead of her the entire race. He crossed the line first and took a short breather this little run not being much of a challenge for him. Yumi crossed at his heels and was winded but not whipped out.

" Alright any other athletic competition I need to best you in." Xi asked her.

" Not right now. How old are you?"

" Fourteen."

" Are you going to Kadic this year?"

" Yeah."

" You might be in some of my classes."

" Can't wait," said Xi walking away and toward the inside of the gym. Before she could say anything he walked into the gym and continued his work out with bench press, leg press, and ended with some sit ups. He entered the locker room took a shower and got dressed in street clothes and walked out of the gyms front exit where he was surprised to see Yumi waiting for him.

" What now?" he asked her.

" Are you related to Ulrich Stern?" she asked.

" No, never heard of him," answer Xi walking past her.

" I swear you look just like him."

" Bet I do now if you'll excuse me I have to be somewhere."

" Where?" she asked. It seamed like she was teasing him.

" Wouldn't you like to know."

" Yes I would."

" To bad." He walked away and she finally stopped asking him questions. When she was out of distance he turned into a different block and took a detour to the factory. Xi couldn't tell if his mother was flirting with him or thought he looked like his father so got curious. Of course he maintained option two. He spent the rest of the day in the lab, only leaving for food.

The next two days Xi went to the gym for a shower but worked out as well to make it seem a shower wasn't all he wanted. He went to a variety of the restaurants in the city, and luckily didn't run into his mother again, but he did run into Aelita who he only walked past. She turned around to make sure it wasn't Ulrich then shrugged and kept walking towards Yumi's house.

* * *

The next day was the day he had to go to the school to give Mr. Delmas his paperwork so he could go to the school. He showered at the gym the night before so didn't go there. He wore his best outfit and made his way to the school. Getting out of the lab unseen was becoming difficult because he notice the girls checkups weren't consistent so he couldn't schedule a right and wrong times to leave the lab.

Xi got in the elevator and began to reach for the button when the door close and began to rise. Someone was activating the lift from the surface and he was trapped in it. He thought about climbing on the roof but the he wouldn't be hidden, they'd see him. None the less he had to think of something before the door opened.

The door to the elevator opened and Yumi and Aelita stepped in. They shut the sliding door and the lift began to descend into the lab. They talked on the way down and when the door opened they typed in the key code and stepped into the lab. Xi dropped down from above and quickly hit the up button before the girls realized that the it was going back up. When it reached the surface, Xi ran out of the factory and continued to run until he was halfway to the school.

After the adrenalin rush from the elevator Xi was finally calm. Slowing to a walk as he made his way down the main wall to the academy gates that were wide open, welcoming new students being enrolled for another school year. The campus hadn't changed much after a thirty year time change. It did seem smaller and the newest looking building was the south wing. It looked brand new because it was built over the summer at a very fast pace.

The hallway of the main office was filled with students and parents waiting to be registered. In the line he saw Yumi but tried to create an angle that made it difficult for her to see him. Xi wondered how she got here first then remembered about the sewers. He didn't have to hide, she was talking to someone else in the line who he recognized right away, his father. Near them was Odd jr's father who was wearing purple head to toe. Xi just shook his head wondering how anyone could love purple that much. In the line he also saw Angela's parents leaning against a wall next to Jeremie's father.

Xi felt a hand grab his shoulder and a voice say, " Hello Ulrich dear have a nice...your not Ulrich."

" Really what gave me away," Xi said sarcastically. He turned around and was looking at a fourteen year old Sissi. Though he didn't want to admit it she was kinda pretty, not as what he'd classify as the prettiest, but pretty far up there. She was wearing black pants with a purple skirt over it, a pink shirt with a heart and fluffy sleeves, and a yellow head band holding her hair back.

" Who are you then, Ulrich's cousin you have to be related to him in some way."

" Sorry no. My parents just sent me here out of the blue. Anyway my names Travis, you are."

" Sissi. The prettiest and most popular girl at Kadic."

" I can tell. Everybody is crowded around you, talking to you. You even have your own lap dogs, that's pretty cute." He said looking at Herve and Nicolas. That seemed to anger Herve who took a step towards him but stopped when Sissi held her arm out in front of him.

" Wonderful another sarcastic person. You obviously have no taste in women."

" Run along." Sissi snorted and stormed away angry.

" You have a way a with Sissi huh new kid." said another voice. Xi turned then had to look down to see Odd jr's father. " It usually takes me longer to make her go away."

" I just dislike anyone who talks more than me," Xi answered.

" Yeah she talks a lot. Did she give you her prepared speech of how great she is."

" Yep. So can I help you?"

" I just wanted to know how your first Sissi encounter went. Get used to it, she spills her ego everywhere. So what's your name?" Odd asked him, wanting to know if he was related to Ulrich.

" Travis, yours."

" Odd Della Robbia, the coolest guy here."

" You sound like Sissi. Everyone has to know how special you are."

" Wow. Your right I never noticed that. Whatever, see you later."

" Can't wait." Odd walked away not telling him the real reason he approached him was on Aelita's request to see if he was related to Ulrich. Xi put his bag down, putting his hands into his pockets leaning against the wall. The line was fairly fast as people left the office and went in for about five minutes apiece and left, fully registered and ready to start a school year, not emotionally ready of course. Within an hour he was next in line and the person in front of him was leaving.

" He'll see you now," said the secretary addressing Xi. He sat up from a chair and moved through the door into the headmasters office. Placing his bag in between his feet he sat in the seat across from his desk where Mr. Delmas was just looking up at him.

" You must be Travis Grey. Do you have your records with you?" Xi unzipped his backpack and pulled out what the headmaster asked for and placed it on the desk in from of him. " Thank you. I'll have these scanned into our computer in about five minutes so just be patient." Mr. Delmas systematically scanned and typed, and placed the sheets of paper back in the folder in almost exactly the amount of time he said it would take. " Alright the filing is done your officially a student here. Give me a number we can reach you by so when the semester starts in a week and a half I can tell you your dormitory location on campus." Xi wrote his cell phone number on a sheet of paper and he left the headmaster office.

The line was fairly short now, only about ten students needed to be registered still for today. Xi walked out of the building and took a left, soon wishing he took a right. Twenty yards ahead of him were his parents and everyone else. They were talking, all sitting on or around a bench next to a tree. Putting his head down he hoped they wouldn't notice him as he strolled by, they did.

" Travis how did your registration go?" He had to talk to them, he'd be here for a while so the entire time he didn't want to appear as an asshole.

" Fine, just gave him the paper work. I'd talk right now but I need to be somewhere."

" Where's that?" Yumi asked him. He looked at her and she knew he wasn't going to tell her so changed the subject. " If your not related to Ulrich, are you at least German?"

" I'm half German, half Japanese," Xi answered changing his stance because he knew he'd be here for a while.

" Your Japanese? I don't see it."

" Look at the position of my eyes." Yumi walked a foot away from him and examined his eyes closely.

" Yeah I do see it, barely. Mothers or fathers side."

" Mothers. My little brother took on her nationality a little more than I did."

" Where's he?" He hated talking about his brother. Justin never knew what happened. One second he's driving next, nothing but pain. Xi couldn't stand talking to her anymore.

" I need to go." He walked away as Yumi was going to say something else but was never given a chance to finish the conversation. Xi walked to the gates as fast as he could, trying not to seem as if he didn't want to talk to anyone and just wanted to get away. Trying to get thoughts out of his head about the crash he made his way to the factory unseen and not followed. It was almost noon so he had to talk to Sissi before anything else.

Xi began the program right away and Sissi's face appeared on the screen, she seemed like she accomplished something. " Good timing kid are you registered?"

" Yeah just got back from that. How's the encryption doing?"

" I finished it an hour ago, but there's another bug that's effecting the nonliving transport. It appeared when I erased the first bug. I can't get rid of one without making the other come back so I'll leave the program how it is."

" Wait, now we can send them but nothing that isn't alive with them."

" Correct. Which means they'll be coming naked. It took a while but I managed to get Angela's measurements. Write them down your going shopping." Xi was glad that he'd have company but, he had to go shopping for a girl. He saw her behind Sissi shaking her head and growing red because a boy was going to know everything about her body size. Sissi told Xi their sizes measurements and he wrote them down on a sheet of paper he later placed in his pocket.

When they signed off Angela looked at Sissi and said, " Great now he knows my boobs are small."

Sissi laughed and answered," Like you can't tell by looking at you. Your thirteen you still have time to grow, and besides if you don't grow blame your mom. Her breasts were never that big growing up."

" What about your mom, you have C's is pictures I've seen of you when you were fifteen."

" I was a little chesty I admit. Your so cute anyway but when your there I think you should dye your hair. Pink isn't a very common natural color and looking like your mother won't help you stay low while your there."

" I love my pink hair," she protested, never even imagining changing her unique hair color.

" Make a sacrifice, if this works the way your father says it should, we can bring them back." Even though she loved her hair, she loved her parents more.

" Alright. Red is different but similar I'll go for that."

" Fair enough."

* * *

It was embarrassing as hell for Xi to be shopping for women's clothes. It kinda made him feel like a pervert checking the sizes on female undergarments. But soon he'd be shopping for Odd jr and that would be a little easier, though he was surprised at the size of the waist he was looking for, twenty two inches. Xi's waist was thirty but he was much more muscular that Odd jr, except for his arms in which Odd jr dominated. He knew someone was watching him looking for things in Angela's size, he hoped it wasn't someone from the school. Not the way he wanted to start a school year in any time period.

After he had bought three outfits for both of them, he walked to the cashier and placed the clothes on the counter, Odd's on top. The cashier was a man who just rang up the products and didn't seem like he liked his job, but hey you still have to do it. When he reached Angela's clothing he took a glance at Xi and chuckled to himself, and Xi just looked away like he didn't notice. Then one of Xi's fears about this event happened. As the cashier began to ring up the first pair of panties, it didn't read it. ' Please no.' Xi begged knowing what was going to happen next.

The cashier smiled at Xi and grabbed the speaker for the intercom and said, " I need a price check on Hanes brand cotton panties. I repeat, Hanes brand cotton panties."

Xi could hear a few people in the store laughing and then looked to the cashier and said," You live for these moments on the job huh."

" It's regulation, but I know what you mean. Do I even want to know why your buying these?" He asked Xi scanning Angela's new blue pants.

" I'm having a really fun party later. I'd invite you but we're booked."

" Figures. Well your good, cash or credit." Xi scanned Sissi's card and a second later the machine confirmed the purchase and the man gave him his receipt. " Hope you have fun," he said handing Xi the bag who took it and walk out of the store with his head down. He tried to forget the embarrassment and headed for the factory, though no matter how hard he tried the event kept playing in his mind. This was going to be a long day.

Xi Placed the clothes in the scanner room with a sheet of paper on both piles, one saying Odd's, the other saying Angela's. Before he left he put a sheet of paper over the camera to avoid temptation. Back in the lab he told Sissi to begin the transport. Angela was going first because she didn't want Odd jr doing anything weird with her clothes.

Angela was in the scanner room about to go through sector six. Her heart was racing for two reasons, she was about to go back in time, and she'd be doing so naked. She hated undressing for any reason. Clothes made her feel comfortable, so naturally doing this was a huge deal for her. She was shaking as she slowly took off her shirt and placed it on the ground. That was when she saw her mothers locket hanging from her neck. " Sissi is there anyway I can take the necklace with me?" she asked aloud hoping she'd hear.

" Theoretically yes. Any living material or nonliving material completely covered by living material should make it through. So you can put in you mouth or hold it in a fist. Remember though, if you loosen your grip you could lose it forever, so if your intent on bringing it, put in your mouth and try not to swallow." Angela didn't answer she just kept getting undressed. When fully ready she put the locket in her mouth and stepped into the scanner that closed behind her. " Don't open your mouth either. Close your eyes, Xi told me it was a little scary, and a little painful." Angela closed her eyes as he felt the sensation of being pulled through sector six.

" She's sent," Sissi said to Xi who was still thinking about the store.

" Good, I'm ready on this end... Whoa She's here, the scanner on my side is materializing her right now, she'll be up in a minute."

" Give her a little more time, I've never seen her that nervous. You change for gym when you were at Kadic here right."

" Yeah, but if I remember correctly she wore her clothes over her gym clothes."

" Good thing she lived at home and had a bathroom to herself."

" Yeah, she's definitely shy."

Angela opened her eyes to find herself in the same place she closed them. She kept her eyes shut hard the entire time and Xi was right about the pain part. Rising to her feet and stepping out of the open scanner, spitting out the locket from her mouth. Next to her was a pile of clothes labeled by her name. She quickly got dressed as fast as she could. Everything fit fine but it wasn't exactly stylish. Either way she was just happy to be wearing clothes.

Walking to the elevator she saw a sign on the camera she'd forgotten about and suddenly began to freak out. Written on the sign in Xi's hand writing was, " In case you don't trust me." She laughed in relief and boarded the elevator, hitting the large red button. The motion sickness was catching up with her and she'll nearly fell from a sudden dizziness and nauseating felling. Taking a few deep breaths she managed not to vomit and stepped out of the elevator and towards Xi.

" How was it. I puked when I got here," Xi said as the chair spun around.

" I felt like I was going to. Has Odd been sent yet?" She asked walking next to the chair.

" Not yet." The chair spun back to the computer. " Sissi send Odd Angela's here now."

" Alright he's already down there." She switched communication and said, " Honey get in the scanner we're all set." Odd jr did as told and a moment later he was on his way.


	9. Someones coming

Xi and Angela waited in the lab for Odd jr's scanner to start materializing him. All was going good before they heard the elevator start working. They both turned and watched as the door slide down and the elevator began to move up.

" Not now," complained Xi.

" Who is it?" Angela asked watching the bottom of the elevator disappear into the shaft.

" It could our parents. I can't cut the link now, I'll cut off Odd."

" Then what do we do, my dad said we can't interfere." Xi had to think fast because he heard the elevator stop at the surface.

" We hide see who it is and hope they leave." He knew they'd check the computer but it was all they had. Angela and Xi quickly hid above the lab in the rafters as the elevator descended down. It docked at the lab and they watched as only Aelita stepped out. She seemed confused that the door to the lab was opened and the computer was still on. Slowly she walked to the computer and opened the process that was underway. Looking closer she read, " Connection complete, sending transfer, subject Odd jr. Arrival, August Fifteenth 2006, departure, February nineteenth, 2036. Mode of transport, sector six." There's has to be a mistake, Aelita thought when reading the departure.

" This has to be xana." She kept reading the information and then read, ' disconnect transfer.' " Disconnecting, nice try xana." Aelita almost clicked but Xi dropped down from the rafters and shouted,

" Don't click that!" Aelita jumped off the chair with a frightened scream and made a dash for the elevator. " Angela!" Angela dropped in front of the elevator, but Aelita didn't see her. She was running with her head down and activating speed dial. Before she knew it Angela grabbed the phone from her and Aelita was knocked to the floor. The phone was ringing already and Angela held it to her ear.

Someone answered and asked," Is everything alright Aelita. Where are you?"

" I'm just out. I thought you'd be worried so I though I'd call and let you know that I was alright. You have a tendency to think the worst," Answered Angela hoping she sounded enough like her mother. To her pleasant surprise, she did.

" Okay thanks I was a little worried. Could you met us in your room in about twenty minutes?"

" Of coarse it's my room."

" See you then."

" Bye."

" Bye."

She hung up and said," It actually worked. Wow I am a lot like my mom." Aelita was on the ground shaking in fear. She was trapped in the lab with two unfamiliar people. " Calm down we're not going to hurt you."

" Who are you, let me go or I'll scream."

" Aelita, we're three stories below the surface no one's going to hear you," said Xi walking past her and hitting the elevator button and stepped off as it began to move up. " Like she said we're not going to hurt you."

" I know you. Your that Travis kid."

" Travis?" Angela asked Xi.

" What do you want from me?" she asked, crying now.

" We don't want anything except for you to listen to us. So calm down and have a seat, and don't press disconnect, you'll kill our friend." Aelita heard him but she couldn't stop looking at Angela. To her it was like looking into a mirror. Her eyes looked so familiar, she couldn't pin it down but she knew she knew. They set her on the chair and Xi began his long explanation.

" We're from the future. Yes I know how that sounds but listen. There's some serious stuff going on in our time. Xana was woken up and he began to kill you five off one by one. First Ulrich, then Yumi, Jeremie shortly followed then, then so did you. Odd was the last and Xana had received revenge. He's loose in our time, and our parents are gone. But Before Jeremie died he found sector six and we used it to come here and stop xana from ruining our lives." It was a lot information for Aelita to take. The weirdest for her was the fact that she kinda believed them.

" So your from the future Travis."

" My name isn't Travis. That's a name that I picked so you five wouldn't think I was related to Ulrich in anyway. My real name is Xi Ulrich Stern. We come from thirty years in the future. I'm Ulrich Stern and Yumi Ishiyama's first son." A million questions raced through Aelita's mind. Was this even possible. It had to be, he fit the look. Xi was undoubtable related to Ulrich , but what of the girl. She looked into Angela's eyes again and remembered what they reminded her of , Jeremie. If this Xi person was Ulrich and Yumi's son was it possible that Angela was, she had to find out.

" You're from thirty years in the future and is the son of my friends. So is she my... daughter."

" That's exactly who I am," Angela said happily because her mother was beginning to believe them. " I'm yours and Jeremie's daughter." That explained the eyes, Aelita told herself. Besides the natural pink hair color, the fact that she was really cute made it a dead giveaway. They both had a sweet and innocent complexion, though Aelita had a much more innocent personality. She was looking her daughter in the eye.

" Did Odd have any kids?"

" Yeah, he's on his way. Good thing I stopped you or you would have killed him by disconnecting the transfer. His name is Odd as well. Odd Della Robbia jr. Quite a character, chip off the old block."

" Who's his mother?"

" Elizabeth Sissi Delmas. You know her better as Sissi." Aelita almost laughed at how ridiculous that sounded. Odd marrying Sissi, and having a kid. That was more unbelievable to her than what they had already told her.

" That's not weird. You said you were Ulrich's first son. How many kids did they have."

" Just two sons. Justin and me."

" Where's Justin?" Angela knew that was the wrong question to ask. Xi took Justin's death the hardest because he was the most innocent of the battles victims. Just got hit in the crossfire.

" He's dead. Xana killed him as well."

" I'm sorry. How did I...I die?" she asked, with a shaky voice.

" Xana set a building on fire with you in it. Yumi was killed in a car crash with Justin. Jeremie's car was possessed and sent off a bridge, Ulrich was possessed and shot himself in the head, and Odd was tortured to death." Aelita didn't want to hear the others. She didn't really want to hear about herself.

" I should be getting back. They're expecting me."

" Alright, but we need you to promise not to speak to any of them about this. You knowing about the future could change it, possibly for the worse. Just by telling them I'm their son, I may never even be born. I feel like being born okay. One more thing, every now and then we may need you to cover for us. If we need the lab, make sure they don't come. If they do, call me before they get here so I have time to erase the history on the computer." He said handing her a sheet of paper. Aelita nodded and hit the elevator button that began to move down. She boarded it and them alone in the lab.

" Think she'll talk?" Angela asked after taking a deep breath and falling into the chair.

" No. The way she was looking at you was like the way a mother looks at her child the moment their born. If she knows speaking of this could make your birth not happen, she won't talk."

" Hope your right." A screen on the computer began the flash trying to alert them of something. They both faced the screen and saw in bold flashing letters, ' Transfer Complete.'

" Boo ya. We're all here. When he gets up we'll start making some fake ids for you two. Tomorrow we'll go shopping for clothes and stuff for school."

" We have money?"

" Sissi gave me a credit card before I came. She modified it so it'll work in this time period." The elevator began to move down a few moments later. It past the stop in the lab and went straight for the scanner room where Odd jr was fully dressed, finished vomiting and ready to go. The elevator opened up in the lab as Odd jr walked out in his new outfit that actually looked good on him. Though it was more of wobble than a walk he made it out of the elevator.

" Did you puke?" Xi asked.

" Oh you think. Should of warned me about that... I was thinking of a fake name for myself. I wanna be called Charlie," Odd jr said as he leaned against the chair and took a deep breath trying to regain all his bodily functions."

" Why Charlie?"

" I don't know. It just sounds cool."

" Why does Charlie sound cool? My real name sounds cool. I mean Xi. It's not short for Zack or some other Z name. It's just Xi."

" I see your point. When you make my fake birth certificate, call me Charlie though. Charlie Rogers. Don't ask me about Rogers, I don't know either. What's your fake name Xi?" Odd jr asked as he looked at the computer screen for no reason at all.

" Travis Grey. Simple name to remember."

" Alright, now these clothes are a little small, so we're going shopping tomorrow."

" Already planed. You two are getting enrolled tomorrow, but after we're done with the fake information, Angela needs to get her hair dyed."

Odd jr looked at Angela and asked," Why, your hair's cute."

" Thanks Odd, but I look too much like my mother to not strike suspicion. It kills me but it has to be done."

" What about me, do I have to alter my image?"

" No your fine," Xi answered, " You don't look much like your father unless your standing next to him. As long as you don't wear purple, you should go unnoticed." He had no idea what purple had to do with it but he'd know soon enough. Odd jr knew his fathers favorite color was purple, but he was still unable to figure out what Xi was talking about.

The next four hours went by fast for all three of them. Xi flew through the id process much faster this time because he had a better idea of what he was doing. It had taken Xi five hours to make his own records, and it took them four hours to make two complete separate records. Four hours past like minutes and soon they were going down one floor to pick up the records which still surprised Xi that the scanners could be used as a printer and a copier.


	10. Angela Smith & Charlie Rogers

It was another long line, but Charlie Rogers and Angela Smith had to be enrolled at Kadic. Angela had already dyed her hair a dark red and also got the length trimmed two inches, having her hair reach her upper back. They saw Aelita at the school, her summer classes were going to be over in two days, so she was near the people in the line hoping to see someone she recognized. She was having a conversation with Milly Solovieff, a short and cute red haired girl who was going to be a sixth grader this year. Like a number of the girls in the same age group and younger than Ulrich, she had a crush on him. She'd keep it at a distance but the affection was obvious.

Aelita looked up from her conversation and saw Xi and friends waiting to be enrolled. Milly had noticed and turned to see what Aelita was so focused on.

" Is that Ulrich?" Milly asked.

" No it's a new kid. His name is Xi, I mean Travis," Aelita answered, her heart racing a little because she'd almost called Xi by his real name.

" Is he at least related to him?" she asked thinking the fact of them not being relatives being impossible.

" No. I asked him that too. He is German though. Half German and half Japanese believe it or not."

" Strange. With that heritage he could be Ulrich's and Yumi Ishiyama's son," she said jokingly.

Aelita gave a half laugh and mumbled to herself, " You have no idea." Thankfully Milly didn't hear her. More people started to confuse Xi and Ulrich. Because Angela had dyed her hair it took at least an hour for the kids to realize who she reminded them of.

Milly was the first and looked at Angela and said to Aelita, " The girl next to Travis looks kinda like you. The tall kid next to them looks familiar but I can't think of it. If the girl had pink hair like you, the similarities would be uncanny."

" You really think so?" Aelita asked, trying to not make the question sound like sarcasm. This was so far proving to be a difficult secret to keep. How could she hide it from Jeremie. He always saw right through her, and Yumi was always good at detecting when something was making someone shaky. Hiding it from Ulrich could be easy but Odd would prove to be a challenge. Odd was the best at noticing her uneasiness, and usually the best to help with it. What a weird day.

During Odd jr's enrollment the headmaster asked if he requested if Odd jr or " Charlie" if he'd want to share a room with someone. His answer was simple. " Actually I do. A friend of mine is going here this year. Could you bunk me with Travis Grey?"

" Of coarse I could all I need is to see if he's okay with it. One second I'll ask." Mr. Delmas looked through student numbers and found Xi's and dialed it into his phone. He waited for a few seconds before Xi picked up, just on the other side of the door. " Hello Mr. Grey this is Mr. Delmas, the head master at Kadic academy. I'm here with a young man named Charlie Rogers who requests that the two of you share a room this years."

" Oh Charlie huh. Sure, Charlie and me are old buds. If you need to talk to me again, I'm in the waiting room."

" Oh very well. Don't bother coming in though all I needed was your yes or no so I can get to my next appointment. See you next week Travis."

" You to sir." They both hung up and Odd jr walked out of the office and Xi gave Mr. Delmas a wave while the door was ajar and walked away with Angela and Odd jr. They dropped the records in the lab crawlspace and the three went clothes shopping. They also bought suit cases so when they arrived, it looked more convincing. Angela asked Xi for the card because she thought she'd be the first to finish.

Xi waved the card in front of her and placed it into his pocket. " Universal rules of life. Never give a woman your credit card," he said with a smile.

" Very cute. I'm be over here, you and Odd stay in boys department. I'll meet you later."

" Yes mother," He said walking away. Angela rolled her eyes and walked in the opposite direction, turning around to look at Xi as he walked away. She didn't know why she looked at him. Not like she liked him. ' Who am I kidding. I do like him.' she said to herself and went to shopping.

After shopping they filled their suit cases and hid them in the crawl space, always hoping a situation when their parents had to search the crawl space wouldn't happen. They remained in contact with Sissi and thanks to the help of Aelita they were able to relax more about being caught. It wasn't easy to hide the secret and the school year hadn't even started yet. In one day the school would start, and the reason Xi, Angela, and Odd were here to begin with, was about to become much more complicated.

* * *

It had officially arrived. The first day of school at Kadic academy. Xi had received a call from Mr. Delmas who said the schedules and dorm rooms would be given out in the office. As they thought, the line was made up of pretty much every person from the school, most of the school lived in town so every other person in line had a suitcases. Because they were only receiving schedules the line went by fast and within a half hour, the entire school was discussing their schedules. Students trying to find out what classes they shared with their friends and groaning at certain teachers names.

When Xi opened his schedule he laughed out loud. Odd jr didn't know why until he opened his. They had the same dorm room from their time period. Boys dorms, third floor, room three hundred eleven. They felt right at home again.

" Who were you bunked with?" Xi asked Angela as she looked at her schedule that also held her dorm room and roommate.

" Some girl named Emilie LeDuc. Oh well I'll find out later. Let me see your schedule," she said to Xi who handed her his schedule and began to look at. They had four classes together, lunch, geometry, chemistry, and gym. Odd jr's schedule didn't have anything with Angela except for lunch, but three of his classes were with Xi. They dropped their things in their rooms and the first year students were sent to the gym for orientation. Because Xi, Angela, and Odd were told the rules in their registration they weren't required to attend.

After Xi and Odd jr had unpacked they went to Angela's room, where she was in a conversation with Emilie. Emilie was the first one there so she got first choice on the side of the room she wanted. Posters of her favorite band was tacked on the wall, and her clothes were laid out all over her bed while she was putting them in the drawer or hanging them in the wardrobe. Her personal items were held in the drawer attached to her bed, which she quickly closed when Angela walked in without knocking.

" Oh sorry," she apologized looking in but not stepping in.

" Are you Angela?" She asked as she sat on her bed, keeping her heels on the drawer. She was definitely hiding whatever she just put in there.

" Yeah. You must be Emilie. I see you took the left side," Angela said looking at the posters of a band that was ancient to her. She almost laughed because in this time they were the hot new thing.

" I had this side last year. So I feel more comfortable."

" So, what are you hiding?" Emilie turned red quickly. She was nervous. Angela had seen her slam it shut and quickly cover it, pretending it was nothing when it was obviously something.

" I don't know what your talking about," Emilie answered, nervously drumming her fingers on her bed.

" Come on, I won't tell anyone," She said sweetly, hoping her roommate would open up to her.

" Your new so you won't know why it's so important to me. But okay." Emilie stood up and closed the door, then kneeled down and opened the drawer and pulled out a framed picture. She handed it to Angela who looked at the picture behind the glass. It was a picture of Ulrich and Emilie posing politely for a picture. They were leaning against a wall and Emilie had her arm over his shoulder. Angela laughed and said, " That's it. You were hiding a picture."

" Yeah, pretty stupid huh," She said taking the picture and sitting on her bed, not bothering to move clothes out of the way. " I was kinda dating him for a week. We never kissed but the entire time it was all I wanted. It's a little pathetic."

" No it's not. Once I was trying for weeks to get a guy to kiss me. So one day I rushed him and didn't give him an option," she said smiling, remembering the scanner room.

" How did that work?"

" Better than planned actually. I'm not saying to just randomly walk up to him, but do something to get his attention." Then she realized what she was doing. She was actually helping someone get with Ulrich. That's not good unless it was Yumi. She didn't continue so just began to unpack. Emilie put the picture in her drawer and hid it under some other items. That thing was pretty important. A minute later there was a knock on the door and Angela went to answer it, but looked at Emilie who gave her a nod of approval.

Xi and Odd jr were on the other side of the door. " Moved in yet?" Xi asked.

" Just started. We don't classes until tomorrow so I'll just meet you here at four okay."

" No problem." Emilie looked up to see who her roommate was looking at and froze. She didn't say anything aloud but moved her lips saying, ' what the hell.' Angela shut the door and continued to unpack.

" Who was that?" Emilie asked, still trying to figure things out.

" Travis. That's the guy I surprised," she said placing a long sleeved shirt on a hanger.

" Is he related to Ulrich?"

" I know, I was surprised at first too. No relation though. People said the same thing about me and Aelita Stones. Do you know her."

" Yeah. She's nice and smart, but a little socially clueless."

" That's what I hear about her."

* * *

Xi and Odd jr spent most of their day examining the school. It was almost exactly how they left it, realizing how suddenly they had left it. Xi figured Sissi excused them and the school thought they were at home so didn't worry about it for to long, what were they going to do? Give them detention. What they noticed right away was the fact that the cafeteria was smaller. They knew because the tree and bench outside of it were still there, so were their parents. A bell rang and the students began to move towards the school gates or towards the cafeteria. Xi checked the time on his cell phone. Four o'clock. " I'll get Angela."

" I'll grab a seat," Said Odd jr moving toward the cafeteria.

Xi jogged up stairs to the second floor to pick up Angela. Emilie walked past him and looked at him as she walked by. He didn't look back until they crossed then kept moving toward her room. Angela was waiting outside of her door, leaning against the wall across the hall. She saw him coming and moved towards Xi who stopped and waited for her then they made their way to the cafeteria.

The three sat in the cafeteria on the table next to the door, just like old times. People watched them, it was starting to scare them a little but they understood why people's eyes were wandering. They hoped the entire time they spent here wouldn't be so awkward. After they noticed the staring stopped ten minutes into their dinner which was strange to be having it so early but because it wasn't an official day of school no one really cared about the early meal. The group separated and continued to unpack. Tomorrow the hard part began.


	11. A strange phone call

The first weeks at he school was fairly easy for Xi and company. It was their second time starting the ninth grade so they basically knew everything that was going to happen in class. It was only recently Xi realized he had turned fifteen two weeks ago because of everything that was happening around him. Angela had turned fourteen and it would be another month before Odd jr turned fifteen, thinking of the date in two thousand thirty six rather than the date in the past. Avoiding their parents was becoming difficult with classes that they sat near them in.

Xi was really starting to worry about his father. He hated to admit it but he looked like a suicide patient. The only thing holding him together and keeping him from doing something stupid was Yumi. It seemed like no one noticed Ulrich was generally unhappy. His father had told Xi that his grandfather was an extremely difficult man to please. Ulrich always felt like he was disappointing him. It was obvious he wasn't the smartest guy in the world. So his only hope to gain some respect from his father was sports, so he'd practice himself to death.

When Ulrich was with Yumi, he'd almost completely changed personality. Ulrich didn't want Yumi to see him the way he saw himself so he'd pretend everything was okay. Every time a guy named William would talk to Yumi, Ulrich would up and leave, not wanting or caring how it would end. Yumi would break the conversation with William and then look behind her where Ulrich was and shake her head.

When September opened into October, Xi became more nervous about his fathers sanity than ever. Xi followed him one day and ended up in the boys bathroom. He quietly opened the door and saw his father standing over the sink. He had sleeping pills in his hand, enough to cause a little more than a good dream.

" What the hell are you trying to prove?" Xi asked looking at him.

" I'm not trying to prove anything. I can't prove anything. I'm worthless," he said making the pills fall into his left hand then spill back into his right. " I'll be in my room," he said as he walked past Xi and to the door.

Before he grabbed the handle Xi said, " You won't do it."

" What makes you so sure?"

" Because she'll be the first to find you. You don't want hurt her do you. Give me the pills." Ulrich stood at the door thinking. Xi was right. Odd was never in the room during the afternoon and Yumi would come to find him, just not the way she planned. He couldn't do that to her. " Give me the pills." Xi repeated, this time with his hand extended. Ulrich walked back to the sink and spilled them into the sink and let the water run, washing them down the drain. " Now what are you going to do."

" Don't know. I'll just get to class."

" It's Saturday. Answer me this. Do you want Yumi?"

" I'm not sure."

" That's not an answer. Yes or no, do you want her?"

Ulrich looked at Xi and there eyes locked. Xi knew the answer to the question he just wanted his father to say it. " Yes."

" Then what the hell are you waiting for. You fell worthless because you don't take risks. I'm not talking life or death. I mean risks of love. Take the risk." They both stood there silently. Ulrich made for the door and left without another word. Xi shook his head and left as well, hoping he had actually stopped him.

Angela was beginning to become suspicious about the friendship between Odd senior and her mother. When the group sat on the bench they always sat next to each other, while Aelita played with Odd's hair no matter how much he complained. Jeremie didn't seem to mind, thinking it was just playing, but Angela thought twice about the situation. It seemed innocent enough, but to her there was something bigger going on.

Odd jr was miserable the entire time. He was always a chick magnet in his time. Girls were asking him out here too, but he wasn't allowed to interfere with the time-line. To him it was like someone had just said he wasn't allowed to go to the bathroom. It was killing him from the inside out. With the Halloween dance soon approaching, more people were asking him out and that wasn't helping him. He finally cracked and agreed to go with the next person to ask him. Which was Milly Solovieff. With her being three years younger, it was much less likely to go any further than the dance.

The day before the Halloween dance Ulrich was trying to find the best way to ask Yumi. Odd wanted to see this so followed him to the bench where Yumi was waiting for everyone. Ulrich sat next her and put his backpack on the ground acting natural.

" Hey Ulrich." Yumi said nervously.

" Hey," he responded, looking at the ground instead of her.

" You going to the dance with anyone?" she asked looking at him, waiting for him to look back.

" Not yet. You."

" Nope." This was going nowhere. They did this every time. Both want to ask the same question, and feel the other will ask it first so wait to be asked. Ulrich noticed this happened a lot so just asked.

" Do you wanna go with me?" Yumi lit up quickly.

" Yes. Yes I do." The bell rang and she stood up and said, " See you then." She walked away unable to hide her smile. Odd dropped from the tree next to Ulrich who jumped off the bench not expecting it.

" How long were you there for?" Ulrich asked.

" Long enough. Bout time you asked her. Now if you excuse me, I gotta find Milly so she can write an article about it," he said smiling big and laying on the bench.

" Do it and your dead," Ulrich threatened, extending his index finger and pointing it at Odd.

" He doesn't have to, I'm right here," said Milly popping out of the bushes with Tamiya. " This is going to on the front page. Ulrich and Yumi finally pull the curtain up about their love for each other." She was holding a notepad in which she was writing the article on. " What a great week. I actually have a date and I writing about the biggest thing this year so far." Ulrich tried to grab the notepad but Milly stepped back just in time and threw it to Tamiya. He attempted to grab it again , but Tamiya lobed it to Odd who began to run. " Run Odd!"

Ulrich chased Odd through campus for a minute without slowing. They dodged other students, ran around trash cans, jumped over bushes, and several other obstacles.

Odd saw Xi so when he ran past Xi, threw him the notepad and shouted, " Hand off, look alive." Xi caught the notepad and stood there trying to figure out what just happened. Ulrich stopped in from of him, and rested with his on his knees.

" That scrawny bastard is fast. Give me the notepad." Xi looked at what was written and laughed. " Yeah yeah give me the notepad."

" It says, 'Charlie is so hot. I can't believe he agreed to go with me.'" He handed Ulrich the notepad and he looked at what Xi just read. " So why were you so desperate to get this?"

Ulrich saw the edges of a torn page and said, " He tore out the page. That sneaky little..."

" You finally asked Yumi. Good for you," said a random girl who walked by and smiled at Ulrich like he just accomplished something great. Three more people walked by and basically said the same thing.

Ulrich leaned against the wall and said, " This is going to be fun day. Now if you excuse me I'm going to go find and execute Odd."

" Have fun." Ulrich handed Xi the notepad and walked away with his hands in his pockets, ignoring the comments from his peers. " This time era is like a freaking sitcom."

Aelita and Jeremie were in his room, using the computer to monitor unusual news events. Jeremie was focused on his work while Aelita sat in his bed. She stood up and walked behind him looking down over his shoulder. Everything seemed normal, and yet Jeremie hadn't slept for more than two hours at a time in a month. His grades were starting to landslide and he got angry easily.

" Jeremie you need a break, we should go to the dance," she propositioned.

" I don't need a break Aelita. I have to monitor for xana. You can go if you want to but I'm busy."

" Fine," she shot back with anger and made for the door. " When you feel like being human again let us know okay." She slammed the door shut and made for her first hour class. Odd was walking past at the moment and saw she seemed angry and little sad.

" You okay princess?" he asked, with his usual smile and laid back personality.

" Not really, no. Jeremie is working himself to death. He barely leaves his room or the lab. He won't even take a break and have fun."

" Is that why your mad, he won't go to the dance with you."

" No it's because he's killing his mind with paranoia. I'd go to the dance but Jeremie doesn't want to and no one asked me."

" I'll go with you," Odd offered.

" You don't have a date?" she asked puzzled.

" Nope. So what do you say. Just friends of course, having a good time. I'm mean not like anything can happen. I am your, ' cousin' after all."

" Sure. Is Ulrich or Yumi going?"

" Yeah, they're going with each other," he said handing her a sheet of paper. It was a yellow sheet of line paper that said, ' Ulrich and Yumi have finally pulled up the curtain of love.' It was written in Milly's handwriting, and seemed to be written in a hurry. " Ulrich chased me around the school to get this back. So I ripped the sheet out and threw the notepad to Travis as a decoy. This is going to be a really fun day." Then Odd was charley-horsed in the arm and had the sheet of paper torn out of his hand by Ulrich.

" Ah ha. Mine now," Ulrich said holding the sheet of paper in front of Odd as he rubbed his arm. Ulrich was going to rip it but Milly ran by and grabbed it and dashed down the hall not looking back. " Oh come on!" Ulrich shouted and ran after her.

Aelita watched as Ulrich ran after Milly. When they disappeared down the hall Aelita looked to Odd and said, " Your right, today should be fun."

* * *

By third hour, everyone had heard the news via Milly or Odd. Ulrich kept his down the entire day as people practically cheered him on as he walked through the halls of Kadic. During the fourth, fifth hour passing period, he crossed paths with Yumi who apparently was having the same day.

They stopped in front of each other and Yumi said, " It's impossible to keep a secret at this school."

" Oh you think," he said sarcastically.

" You sound like you wanna call it off," she said sadly.

" I can't deal with the extra attention, but if the attention is because I'm with you, I don't mind at all." She smiled at him and took his hand as the two walked to lunch. Jeremie skipped lunch again and was held up in his room like it was a bomb shelter. Odd and Aelita were already there when the two arrived hand in hand. Aelita smiled at the site and continued eating and talking to Odd.

The remainder of the day, the school had gotten the news out of their systems and the gossip died down. Milly had already began printing the paper, then later tried to find what to wear for tomorrow. It was a formal dance on Halloween so you weren't allowed to wear a costume which disappointed most of the kids. Emilie Leduc however had her mind on others things.

Since mid October she'd was trying to find proof that Travis Grey and Ulrich Stern were related. She got so desperate during gym she bumped into Ulrich and Travis on purpose just to steal a strand of their hair. Emilie's father was a gene researcher, so she mailed the hair to her father and asked if she could have it tested to see if they were really related. October was becoming fun.

* * *

Halloween was a Saturday so everyone slept in and waited for most of the day. Yumi said she wasn't going to come until it started and she'd meet Ulrich at the gym doors. Xi was of course going to go with Angela, and Odd jr felt he'd be baby sitting Milly, but it was better than going alone or not going. The dance was for eighth through twelfth only but underclassmen were allowed to go if invited by an upperclassman. Milly was the only person in her grade who was going, but some fifth graders were going because they had siblings in higher grades who were forced to invite them because of their parents.

It turned seven and the school began to come alive, everybody arriving to the gym, meeting their dates. Ulrich was leaning against the wall near the gym doors waiting for Yumi. He smiled when he saw her parents car pull into the parking lot to drop off her and Aelita who had borrowed a dress. Yumi walked to Ulrich who was looking at her. She was wearing a dark blue dress that reached her ankles. Her hair was pulled back into a bun and she was wearing makeup, even though she didn't really need it. Her dress showed her back and she wore long sleeves that matched the dress. She was gorgeous. Ulrich chuckled when he saw that even how elegant she looked she was wearing regular shoes.

" You look beautiful, but uncomfortable," Ulrich said to her.

" Thanks. My mom asked me if I wanted to wear a pair of her heels. I hate heels, I like my ankles. I'm surprised you own clothes like that." Ulrich was wearing a pair of black pants with a black belt that had a long sleeved white shirt tucked into it. His shoes were black leather that his father sent him because he always thought his son needed a nice outfit. His black tie was a little to long but none the less he looked handsome with his hair slicked back.

" I have them. Just don't wear them. What about you?"

" Have them don't wear them. Well shall we?"

" Yes we shall." They crossed arms and moved into the gym, Ulrich giving her a flower. Odd was already inside waiting for Aelita. He saw Yumi and knew Aelita was here. He scanned the crowd to find her but she found him.

" Looking for me?" asked Aelita who was standing behind Odd with her hands behind her back. Odd turned around and took a good look at her in the pink dress borrowed by Yumi. It was a long dress that was cut at the bottom because it belonged to Yumi who was bigger than her. Her hair was wavy and behind her ear. She was wearing a little mascara with pink lipstick. Like Yumi, she wasn't wearing heels either. Odd always thought she was cute, but now she looked beautiful. It was strange for her to see Odd not wearing purple. He wore the same things as Ulrich except he wasn't wearing a tie or dress shoes.

" You really love pink don't you," he said smiling at her.

" Obviously. I almost didn't recognize you without purple." Odd handed her a carnation, which she took out of the plastic case and placed it into his shirt pocket. She took his arm and dragged him onto the dance floor. ' Charlie' was just arriving with Milly who couldn't hide her smile. Xi and Angela had been there pretty much the entire time, Xi watching Angela dance which surprised him how well she did. Xi could dance, he just usually wouldn't unless he was dragged into it. Which is what Angela had done to him.

The music was decent enough not to complain but it could have been better. Some songs they hadn't heard of, but the beat was awesome. Every other song would be a slow song, so every person on the floor was cuddling with someone. Xi never considered slow dancing a dance, but stand up cuddling. Angela rested her head on Xi's shoulder while the slow song played. Yumi did the same to Ulrich, and Milly to Odd jr a.k.a Charlie, who still had no idea why he wished to have that name. And probably never will.

During the first hour in the dance, Xi's cell phone began to vibrate in the middle of a good song. He checked his caller id which said it was a call from a cell phone. " Who is it?" Angela asked, noticing he wasn't dancing anymore.

" Gonna find out." Xi pressed answer and held the phone to his ear. " How did you get this number?"

" Well Travis I see I called at a bad time," said a familiar female voice.

" Emilie?" Xi asked with surprise. " How did you get my number?"

" I found it in Angela's cell phone. When you have time, call me back we need to talk. For now have fun with Angela." She hung up the phone leaving Xi puzzled.

" Okay. That wasn't weird," he said putting the phone back into is pocket and pretending like the call didn't come. Xi looked over at his parents during the next slow dance and saw that they were standing closer every time. Then his heart jump when Yumi moved her head away from his shoulder and looked in his eyes for a least ten seconds, as if she was nonverbally asking for something. Ulrich leaned his head in and so did Yumi. They were kissing in the middle of the dance floor with a few people watching them. Xi smiled, and kept dancing.


	12. What did we change?

At ten the gym was cleared as the students left for their dorms or home. Ulrich walked Yumi home, and before leaving, made out with her on her porch. Odd dropped Aelita off in her room. Nothing happened but they had a good time. Odd jr was surprised at how much fun he had with Milly. She was three years younger but still really cool. Xi and Angela arrived at her door, where they kissed goodbye, her kissing still needing improvement. It was a cool night with a harvest moon that hung in the cloudless sky.

Xi walked to his room and when turned the corner to his hallway and saw Emilie leaning against the wall holding a yellow folder. He walked like he didn't see her, but remembered her phone call.

" Good evening Travis," she said with a smirk.

" You called me."

" I did. Will you look at this for me?" she asked holding the folder out to him. Xi took it and opened it. Inside was a single sheet of paper.

" And what is this?" Xi asked looking at her.

" DNA test results. You remember a few weeks ago when I bumped into you during gym." He answered with a nod. " I plucked a strand of your hair. Then I did the same thing to Ulrich Stern. Now my daddy is a genetic researcher and I asked him to do a DNA test on it. You know to see if you two were somehow related. Look at the bottom." Xi did as told and what was written in big bold letters was, ' Positive match.' Xi felt his heart race. This was not good.

" Even weirder was how my father said you were related. According to the test, Ulrich is your father. Explain that right now or Milly with have the scoop of the year," she said threateningly.

Xi took a deep breath and said, " The test is wrong."

" My dad did it three times. Oh yeah you're an exact DNA match. I have Milly on speed dial. Now what are you, Angela and Charlie hiding. You guys are always missing."

" I can't tell you."

" Not good enough," her cell phone rang and she answered it right away. " Hi daddy, did that test result come back. Positive huh. Thanks daddy. See you on Christmas."

" Now what?" Xi asked, because she seemed happier.

" I did the same test to your DNA and Yumi Ishiyama's. Weird another match. You're her son, but that can't be. What the hell is going on, cause whatever it is I don't want to be in the dark on it. Now last chance. Tell me what's going on or Milly's news bulletin will actually have readers." Xi tried to think of a way to avoid this. Emilie planned this too well, he didn't have a choice.

" Fine. Not here though. Meet me at the park in half an hour."

" Can't wait," she said taking the folder from Xi and walking away. Xi walked into his room and kicked a pillow across the ground. This was becoming a very complicated situation. He fell to his bed and undid his tie and took it off, throwing it to the ground. They were screwed. Odd jr walked in and sat on his bed taking off his shoes.

Odd jr noticed that Xi seemed mad about something so asked, " What's up with you?"

" You know Emilie right?"

" Angela's roommate. Yeah why."

" I think she found out that Ulrich and Yumi are my parents." Odd jr who was trying to pull his shoe off, let his foot slip and hit the ground.

" She what?"

" Yeah. She got too suspicious and ran a DNA test through her father."

" What are you doing about it?" Odd jr asked worried their cover was about to be blown.

" Telling her. She threatening to tell Milly. You know her better than anyone, it'll be all over the school and possibly more within an hour. I hate being blackmailed." Xi said punching his bed.

" I'll go with. Explaining this should be difficult should I call Angela."

" Yeah. We're all in this." Odd jr called Angela and explained what was happening.

* * *

Emilie was in the park waiting for the Xi. The crowd from the dance was pretty much clear, so they had to do this quick before they began to patrol the campus. She saw Xi and Odd jr move out of the dormitories and run toward her, keeping low. Soon to follow was Angela who did the same, keeping low to avoid attracting attention. Emilie smiled big when she saw Xi. She was finally going to be involved or at least know.

They lead her through the sewers, to the factory and were moving down the elevator shaft. Xi typed in the code and the doors opened and Emilie stepped into the lab.

" Wow. Where are we?" she asked in awe.

" The lab. It's a supercomputer. Now to start, about what we're up to, you need to be fairly open minded."

" Is it any less believable than having a parent and child being the same age?"

" You have no idea. Alright you want the answer here it is. We're from the future." He told her, now it was up to her to believe him.

" How far in the future."

" About thirty years, give or take a few months. Now the bad guy in this story is a computer virus named xana." He told her everything she wanted to know in exchange for not being known as an impossible parentage. The scary thing to Xi was she was believing him. Least she was open minded.

" So Xi right?" Xi nodded to confirm. " You came here to stop xana from killing your parents in the future. Xana killed them in your time and your going to take him out here so you won't have to fight him in your time."

" Basically yeah. I have proof too. Wanna talk to Sissi Delmas?"

" No thanks."

" Not the one you know, the one from our time?"

" If it's proof." Xi began to load the communication program.

" Let's hope she's there." A second later Sissi appeared on the screen, looking very tired.

" Xi hey what's going on?" Emilie looked at the screen. The woman was at least forty but she was undoubtable Sissi. " Is that Emilie Leduc?"

" Yeah she blackmailed me. Found out that Ulrich and Yumi were my parents," Xi said showing her the DNA test results.

" That sucks well that means she's involved so did you get her up to date on what's going on?"

" Did I have an option?" Xi asked sarcastically.

" Not really. Well Emilie now that you know you can't tell anyone. You can compromise the future, possible making them not be born."

" I know," Emilie said quickly, " Xi told me everything. Even told me what Odd, Ulrich, Yumi, Jeremie and Aelita are up to. Told me about xana. I know it all."

" Good then you know what your getting yourself into. People have died in this battle. Some who had nothing to do with this." Emilie nodded, remembering what Xi told her about Justin. " You know the risks so do you still wish to help?"

" Yes. Tell me did you really marry Odd?" she asked still believing that to be impossible.

" Why is that so unbelievable. Come on. Odd just took me to Halloween dance in your time right."

Emilie shook her head and answered, " No. He took Aelita. You didn't even go."

" Oh my god. This is not good. That's not how it happened."

Xi finally realized what happened. " We changed something."

" Yes you did. Did your parents go?" Sissi asked hoping it didn't get worse.

" Yeah, they went with each other."

" Dammit that didn't happen. They didn't go."

" Are you kidding me. Why wouldn't they go?"

" Because, Ulrich was in the hospital from a sleeping pill overdose. He tried to kill himself. Did that happen?" Xi held his face in frustration, this was his fault. " What did you do?"

" I stopped him from taking the pills." Sissi did the same thing out of frustration. " Why hasn't anything happened yet?"

" I don't know. Jeremie's theory is that if something is changed, it takes the time line some time to figure out what events would have changed. Maybe well find out tomorrow. For now get back to the school and get some sleep. Please stay away from them. You may not like it but your father did attempt suicide. Your mother thought it was her fault so helped him recover, physically and emotionally. You lit the fuse and soon, we'll find out what you set off. Talk to you in the morning." She logged off without saying goodbye. Xi looked at the black screen for a few seconds before closing the link.

Xi placed the headset down on the keyboard. This was his fault. Everything was his fault. He fell back into the chair and hid his face into his palms. He didn't want anyone to see his face right now. Xi had let everyone down, and for what. To help his future, do save his father. No it wasn't his fault, it was Sissi. She never told him what would happen. He shook his head again. It was his fault, he should have kept his distance, but his emotions got to him. For all he knew, saving his father now might have caused him to die sooner.

Angela placed her hand on Xi shoulder, but he kept his head buried into his palms. " It's not your fault. You didn't mean to, you didn't know." Xi let his hands drop to his lap but didn't look at her. " Xi for all we know you made a better future."

" Or a worse one."

" Don't think like that."

" I'm sorry Angela. I need time to think about this. So please just give me some space." He stood up and boarded the elevator followed by everyone else. Within minutes they were all in their rooms in their beds thinking about what possibly could have changed from one little event. They'd find out on the morning.

* * *

Xi forgot the close the blinds to his window and the sun just passed a cloud and hit him square in the face. Placing the blanket over his face he woke up, blocking the worlds natural alarm clock. After getting adjusted to the light he threw the blanket of him and lay up. He looked around his room to see Odd jr, with one leg on the ground, and his blanket covering only the leg still on the bed. Odd jr looked like he'd fall out of bed any second. Xi laughed and placed his hands on the back of his head and rested his head against his pillow.

Suddenly Xi's head began to ache. In seconds it was painful. Holding his head in pain, he tossed and turned as his eyes began to flicker. Xi saw images rush past his eyes. Most of the images he had seen before. They were his memories. First day of school, first kiss, everything was as he remembered. Except every other frame had someone else within it. It was girl, and the girl was in through out the frames, aging, a part of his life as long as he had lived. Then it stopped.

Odd jr had woken up from an unfamiliar sound. Not realizing half his body was not an his bed he fell to the floor with a solid thump. He shook off the sudden fright from falling and looked for the noise that woke him up. It was Xi, tossing and turning, grunting in pain as he held his head.

" Xi!" He quickly checked his friend. Before he could help it, he was holding his head in the same fashion. Memories past through Odd jr's mind. Everything seemed the same except his parents were arguing more, and soon, his father wasn't in as many. As sudden as it began, it stopped and both boys lay there, trying to figure what the hell had just happened.

They looked at each other to see the same thing had happened to the other and quickly began to dress. Xi's phone began and he quickly answered it.

" I know Angela, we're going to the lab. Get Emilie, she wants to be involved she has to see consequences." He hung up the phone and called Aelita for cover.

In minutes they were in lab opening the link. Xi was in the chair with, Odd jr, Angela, and Emilie looking over his shoulder. The link opened and an unknown woman was at the screen. Xi looked at the woman with nothing to say.

" Who the hell are you?" Xi asked after a rather long awkward moment.

" You don't recognize me. It's me, Emilie." Everyone looked at Emilie who couldn't get her eyes off herself. " I'm involved now so naturally I'm here. Sissi is here too, and your not going to believe who else. Aelita." Angela heart jumped into her throat, making it hard for her to speak.

" My moms alive." she managed to say after swallowing hard.

" She is, now Sissi will explain what you changed." Sissi and Emilie switched places, Xi noticed she had a pregnant belly, which explained why it took so long to get off the chair. Sissi put on the headset.

" Alright. You changed the fact that Ulrich didn't attempt suicide, took Yumi to the dance and Odd took Aelita instead of me. What changed here is pretty extreme. Currently in this time, Aelita is not married to Jeremie but was, and Odd to me. I divorced Odd, and Jeremie divorced Aelita. Ulrich and Yumi pretty much stayed the same except they had three kids instead of two. Aelita has two children instead of one. They are still dead except for Aelita. Quite a lot of change from one little event."

" How does my dad not attempting suicide make you and Odd get divorced?"

" Because the moment in the park were Milly found out about the date, wouldn't of happened. Odd wouldn't have ran and bumped into Aelita. Noticing she was upset because Jeremie didn't want to go, Odd takes her instead of me. It's like dominos. I hate to admit this but the only reason Odd and I left the country was so he wouldn't interfere with Aelita's marriage. Going to the dance only made his love build faster."

" Then he couldn't bring himself to move."

" Then he and Aelita cheated on their spouses, and had a kid together. He's so adorable by the way."

" My mom cheated on my father?" Angela shouted. " How could she." She began to think about the memories she saw this morning. " That's what the memory was about. The argument with my parents. I remember. It happened when I was five. My mom was crying, begging my dad for his forgiveness. She didn't get it. He wouldn't listen, he just shouted at her and told her to leave, and she did."

" I remember as well," Odd jr began. " My mom was yelling at my father. They argued every now and then, being married does that. This was straight up pissed off. I've never seen my mother so mad. I went to live with my mom after the divorce, that's the reason I didn't see my dad much," Odd jr said forgetting his mother was on the screen listening.

" Glad you understand honey. Now I think Angela wants to talk to her mother." Aelita sat on the chair and placed the headset in her ear. Angela did the same, switching places with Xi. They sat there, staring at each other. Angela didn't know what to make of her mother anymore. Her mother, was once honest, loyal, kind and understanding. Now she wasn't that person anymore.

" Angela please don't look at me like that," Aelita said, her daughter looking at her with disappointment.

" How should I mom? Should I act like everything is okay? I'm glad your back put I hate the reason you are."

" Please let me explain."

" Explain what? How you cheated on dad for his best friend. You always told me to be honest, but now I think you're a hypocrite."

" Listen to me. Our marriage wasn't working. You know that before he died, we hadn't had sex in six months."

" Do I look like I need to hear that."

" All I'm saying is that, I thought I loved your father. I thought he loved me. We we're really only good friends who were married." Her explanation wasn't working for Angela.

" Of coarse he loved you. He spent countless hours to get you out of the computer," said Angela hoping that would prove it to her mother.

" Odd would have done that if he knew how. Jeremie had only been to Lyoko four times in his life. He may of freed me but Odd was the one risking life and limb to give him that chance. Ulrich and Yumi all the same. It wasn't love that drove him. You like someone for their gifts, you love them for their flaws. Jeremie thought I was pretty and funny, he hated how clueless I was about the human world, because it was slowing our relationship's progress. Odd thought I was pretty as well but he thought my clueless behavior was adorable. Odd never yelled at me unless it was necessary to yell, he wasn't killing himself from the inside out like your father was. Your father only freed me because I talked to him when no one else would."

Angela was getting angry. Her mother was talking about her father like she hated him. " So what, to get him back you slept with Odd."

" I slept with Odd because I loved him. That had nothing to do with your father. Odd listened to me. Jeremie wouldn't let me go outside in risk of xana. He was selfish. Odd could stand me not being with him, Jeremie couldn't. Jeremie never let me do anything. It was all work for him, doing this, doing that. I cheated on your father with little regret" Now Angela was angry.

" Little regret huh. You cheated on your husband of thirteen years with little regret. Why did you have me then. What was I to you?"

" Even though I was human, I lived in a computer for a large chunk of my life. I had convince everyone I was human, except myself. I knew there was only one thing to prove to myself I was truly human."

" You wanted to have a baby. That's why I was born. To prove something to yourself! All I ever was to was fucking proof!" she said, not realizing she was shouting at her mother.

" Watch your mouth young lady. You were never just proof. You're my daughter, I love you and always will. From the moment you were born, to the moment you comfort me on my death bed."

" To hell with you mom," she said crying. " Because right now, I kind of wish you were still dead."

" Angela," Aelita pleaded. Angela didn't want to hear it. She stood up and threw the headset on the keyboard and left on the elevator alone. " Angela come back here right now." Everyone was quiet now, not sure what just happened. Aelita was crying into her palms. Xi sat on the chair and put the headset on.

" She can't stay mad forever Mrs. Robbia, don't worry. It may take a while for her to suck it up but she'll forgive you... Did I just call you Mrs. Robbia."

" That's because of the memory shock," Sissi said from over Aelita's shoulder. " In Jeremie's notes he said that when we change something, the time line will force the memories onto us. I remember what happened in the last time line, because I 've been scanned. It's like a return to the past, we remember the changes. Angela is having trouble sorting what happened last history, and this history."

" Alright that explains why I still have my old memories. The new ones are weird. You wouldn't happen to know the girl I saw?" Xi asked.

" Probably me bro?" said a girl who's face appeared from the left side of the screen. " Are you telling me you don't remember your sister." Xi looked at the girl. She was in her twenties, and looked like his mother. The girl was a stranger and yet he felt like he had known her his entire life.

" You probably don't, this is a completely different time line. I wasn't even born in the last one. Thanks for not letting dad try to kill himself, you made mom and dad fall in love faster. Mom was nineteen when she had me , so naturally I was an accident."

" Whatever Keiko," Xi said as if it was natural for him.

" You do remember. Then you'll remember that Justin is still gone and so is mom and dad. In this history you live with me instead of Sissi. I always took care of you, even since I was helping raise you. I hated the fact that I was the only one who looked Japanese," Keiko said smiling.

" This is weird to me. I never had a sister before but now I feel like I always had."

" Well of coarse you do. That what happens when you mess with time. Tell me Xi, why do you have a Chinese name?" Xi thought for a second but Keiko said, " Never mind Aelita will tell you what drove her away from Jeremie. You'll have to explain to Angela, and bro. Pretty soon mom and dad are going to start dating, and arguing like an old married couple. Let them argue don't interfere. When they break up in a month don't try to help them get back together, it happens three months later."

" See why can't Sissi tell me what to let happen?"

" Would you of still let dad take the pills if you knew," he thought hard on it, and realized he still would of stopped him. " That's what I thought. Good luck bro, I need to get to work, things are insane here but we have to keep going on with our lives. I love you bro."

" Love you sis." Keiko face disappeared and he saw in the background her boarding the elevator, waving to him before the door shut. " Alright Aelita tell me what happened."


	13. A new history was written

**Long Chapter. Warning, LEMON.**

Eight years earlier...

Odd was leaning against the railing of the docks of the lake waiting for Aelita. It was six in the afternoon and she had called him to meet her. No one was in sight around Odd, so when he heard footsteps walking toward him, he knew it was her. Turning around he saw Aelita standing behind him.

" You wanted to see me?" he asked as a breeze rushed past his face blowing up his hair.

" Thanks for seeing me on such short notice," she answered stopping in front of him.

" Anything for a friend. What did you want to talk about?" he asked pushing off the railing to stand. " Come on, let's go for a walk." Aelita and Odd began to walk down the docks, turning onto the sidewalk and Aelita began to explain.

" Jeremie and I have been arguing a lot recently," Aelita said, walking next to Odd.

" About what?" Odd asked.

" This and that, stupid marital bullshit, but mainly about Angela. She's starting school next year and Jeremie wants her home schooled."

" You don't agree of course."

" No I don't. Public school is better in my opinion. I don't want her to be antisocial or..um.."

" Socially clueless?" asked Odd offering a good word.

" Yes. This leads to that, that to this and now we can't go through a day without being at each others throats. I knew marriage would have its up and downs but things haven't gone up since Angela was born."

" If it makes you feel any better, Sissi and I aren't doing to well either. She says I'm pushing the boy to hard academically."

" He's six, how hard could you push him?" she asked wondering how Sissi came to that conclusion.

" That's what I said. I don't think I am though. My father didn't push me and I didn't turn out too well," Odd said, remembering his school life.

" Odd, you own a multi billion dollar industry. I think your doing well enough. I studied my ass of in college and what do I have to show for it," she answered.

" I mean I regret not graduating. When I got kicked out of Kadic, things went down hill from that day. Meet bad people, did bad things."

" That's the past Odd."

" I know, but there are some things I can't live down. I treated school like a carnival ride. I may be rich but I'm an idiot."

" Your not an idiot," she protested, never liking people putting her friends down. Especially themselves.

" Well I'm not smart. I'm sorry, what else is going on with you," he asked remembering they were talking about Aelita's problem and not his past.

" I'm tired of the fighting with Jeremie. Whenever I try to have us work something out, something new pops up. We can never focus on one issue at a time."

" Same for Sissi and me. Last week she yelled at me for moving the can opener."

Aelita laughed and asked, " Your joking?"

" Wish I was." he laughed to.

They stopped and ate something, no longer talking about the fights. To ease the mood, they talked about there kids. Aelita talked about Angela riding a bike, and Odd talked about Odd jr being able to recite the alphabet and write his name. It was good to get their mind off things.

* * *

Hours later they were in Odd's kitchen, still talking. " Why didn't you buy a mansion?" Aelita asked Odd.

" I have a wife and one kid. Like I need that much space. Mansions are overrated. I'm very comfortable in my very cozy two story, five room house," he answered looking at his watch. " Whoa time flies huh. It's almost midnight, shouldn't you be heading home?"

" I guess," she answered with a sigh. Then just by thinking of going home made her sad. Aelita began to cry.

" Aelita?" Odd asked concerned.

" I can't do this anymore," she said laying her back to the against the shelves, " I just can't." she slid down the wall holding her shoulders and crying into her arms.

Odd walked next to her and crouched down, " Can't what?" he asked trying to find her face.

" Keep fighting. I can't. Angela's catching on but we pretend everything is alright in front of her. I don't like lying or fighting and I'm sick of both," she mumbled, having difficulty talking through her tears.

" Aelita," Odd said softly, " I don't understand how someone so beautiful could be so sad." Aelita lifted her head up and hiccuped. Odd reached over and wiped the tears of her face. " You don't deserve it."

Aelita managed a smile and said, " You may be an idiot, but you're the sweetest idiot of them all." She rose to her feet and they stared in each others eyes, waiting for the other to begin. Something in Aelita clicked when she looked at him. What clicked she had felt before, only this time it was a lot stronger than the first time she had experience it. The click was love.

Aelita took a step toward Odd and continued to stare into his eyes. She was hoping he'd feel the same thing she was. After ten second of waiting, she closed her eyes and leaned in.

" Aelita?" Odd asked as she got closer. Odd took a step back after realizing her intension. " Aelita don't."

" Why didn't you move to the states for better business? Did you think you'd do better here or was it for another reason?" she asked knowing the answer.

Odd thought quickly and knew the answer. Business had nothing to do with why he stayed. He had stayed for her, covering his emotions for years, never admitting it.

" I stayed for you," he finally said. He let Aelita move in ans kiss him, though he didn't kiss back. Odd grabbed her shoulders and held her back. " I can't, I'm married."

Aelita grabbed the back of his head and said, " Don't turn into a good guy on me," and thrust her lips to his. To her liking, it worked and Odd was beginning to kiss her back. Aelita took off her sweat shirt and threw it onto the table. Her cell phone rang and she checked who was calling. Jeremie was trying to reach her but she threw the phone on the sweat shirt and continued to kiss Odd, who was just beginning to add tongue.

" Bed room?" she asked, though didn't bother to stop kissing him. Odd stopped kissing her and took her hand and began to lead her upstairs.

They walked into his room and shut the door behind them, falling onto his bed holding each other in their arms. Aelita pulled Odd's shirt up and off and tossed it aside. She was on top of Odd who grabbed the bottom of her shirt and slowly slid it off her body, throwing it next to his. Continuing to kiss her he caressed her breasts with one hand as he unhooked her bra and tossed it aside with the other clothes.

In minutes they were completely nude and under blankets, Odd on top gently thrusting. Aelita wrapped her arms around his back, staring into his eyes or kissing him.

After ten minutes Aelita leaned up and whispered in Odd's ear, " I wanna be on top." Odd wrapped his arms around her lower back and tipped backwards laying down, pulling her on top quickly without stopping. Odd placed his hands on both sides of her hips as she placed her hands on his chest for balance. He was loving her body right now. It was naturally beautiful but now that it was a little sweaty, light shimmered off giving her an exotic glow.

* * *

In the morning Aelita woke up facing the door. Yawning she rolled over, expecting to be looking at Odd. Odd was missing and Aelita lay up looking for him.

" Odd?" she asked, expecting his reply. Listening closely she heard a shower running in the bathroom attached to Odd's room, with the door ajar. Aelita took the bed sheet with her as she stepped across the room. She slowly pushed the door opened to see Odd's figure behind the curtain. Hearing the door creak Odd pulled the curtain back and smiled when he saw her.

" Good morning princess, sleep well?" Odd asked with the water dripping down his hair that was down now instead of spiked up.

" Very," she answered smiling back.

" Care to join me?" Odd asked smiling back. Aelita let the sheet drop to the floor and stepped into the shower. The water soaked her hair and began to slither down her body. Odd looked at her as the light shimmered off her body again. They began to kiss, rubbing each others bodies as the water ran down.

Unable to find a comfortable position Odd stopped the water and the two stepped out of the shower. Odd took three towels and began to lay them on the ground, then he placed Aelita on the towels and softly rested his body over hers. He began to thrust a little harder than last night, Aelita breathing getting fast, her heart racing to keep up. Odd began to thrust harder and faster, making her let out a fairly loud scream.

" Aelita, should I slow it down?"

Aelita shook her head and answered, " Just never been done that hard." Aelita took a breath and said, " It's amazing keep doing it, and kiss me so I don't wake the neighbors." He smiled and kept thrusting, Aelita holding him tighter to keep from screaming again.

By noon they were fully dressed and in the kitchen eating a late breakfast. Odd was leaning against the fridge with a bowl of cereal in his hand. Aelita was sitting on a stool strangely placed in the center of the kitchen. She knew what she had just done to Jeremie. Aelita had cheated on her husband with his best friend who was also married. Though she was guilty, happiness filled her being with Odd. Odd lay his finished bowl on the counter and Aelita stood up and began to kiss him deeply again. When they heard the front door being opened their lips broke up quickly and Aelita sat on the stool again, acting casual.

Odd looked over to Aelita and whispered, " I'm telling her." Aelita nodded, knowing this shouldn't be hidden.

" Odd?" asked Sissi from the living room, checking if he was home.

" In here," he answered. A moment later Sissi and Odd jr walked into the kitchen. Sissi put the keys on the table and saw Aelita.

" Morning Aelita," Sissi said walking past her. She went to kiss Odd who turned his head to the side, making her miss his lips. " Are you okay?"

Odd looked at his son said, " Odd go to your, mommy is about to yell at daddy." Odd jr just shrugged and left the room running upstairs, slipping on a step with a loud thump, but recovering a second later.

" Odd what's going on?" she asked looking at Aelita to see if she knew why Odd was acting weird.

" I'm sorry Sissi, but last night I slept with Aelita," he said waiting for her response. Sissi looked back and forth between Odd and Aelita looking for a joke set up. She didn't see one.

" You what?" hoping she misunderstood.

" I slept with Aelita?" She didn't react, " I understand if your mad, sad, or you want to smash a plate over my head."

" Why?" she asked, her voice getting tense.

" It just happened."

" Don't you even start that just happened bullshit on me! I knew we were fighting, but why! And with Aelita?" she asked, the volume of her voice spiking up.

" I honestly don't have an answer," he answered.

" Every question has an answer Odd, so stop avoiding mine!" she shouted even louder.

" It's been building for years."

" Years? So what our entire marriage you've been fucking this little slut the entire time! I knew you were more than just friends," she shouted her voice getting louder again to Odd's unpleasant surprise. Odd jr poked his head around the corner, listening the entire time.

" Last night was the first time, and if you guessed that was happening why are you so surprised?" Odd asked just noticing his sons head peaking around the corner, " Odd go to your room."

" What's going on?" Odd jr asked.

" Go to your room!" Sissi shouted at him, unable to control herself.

" Yell at me not him," Odd shot back, though without yelling, he hated yelling.

Sissi took a deep breath and said, " I'm sorry sweety," Sissi began crouching down and facing her son, " Please just go."

" What did daddy do?" Odd jr asked.

' what hasn't he done,' Sissi wanted to say but didn't. " Aelita could you take him to his room please?" She asked not facing her.

" Alright," Aelita answered grabbed Odd jr's hand, " Sissi. I'm really..."

" Don't even start apologizing, because we both know you wanted it, just go before I do something I don't want my six year old to see." Aelita took the six year old to his room and shut the door. She turned on his radio, hoping to drown out Sissi.

" Did you at least enjoy yourself?" she asked a little calmer.

" Do you really want me to answer that?" Odd asked, scanning the question for sarcasm.

" I asked didn't I."

" Best I ever had," he answered, hoping to piss her off.

" Well then I hope your happier with her than you were with me. Take care of Odd for now I'll be at my parents filing our divorce." She walked out of the room and grabbed her keys and left the house, slamming the door behind her.

Odd took a deep breath and mumbled, " one down one to go."

* * *

Aelita was tucking in Angela who was already fast asleep. It had been three days since she had cheated on Jeremie and was yet to tell him her dirty little secret. They were still arguing but she had to pull the truth out of her. She knew Jeremie would yell and shout but she had to face the music. Jeremie was in the kitchen cleaning dishes as Aelita stood at the door frame that connected to the living room.

Taking a deep breath she said, " Jeremie we need to talk about something, and no it can't wait."

Jeremie dried his hands off and turned to face her, crossing his arms. " What is it?" he asked.

" On Saturday when I was out and stayed at Carol's."

" What about it?" he asked hoping this wasn't going where he thought it might.

" I didn't go to Carol's," she said looking up at him finally. " I stayed at Odd's." Jeremie actually felt relieved. If she was at Odd's what was the worst that could happen.

" That's it, why is that so hard to say?" he asked.

" Because not only did I sleep at Odd's, I slept with him." she had said it, and now she was bracing herself for his response. " Jeremie I'm sorry?"

" What were you drunk!" she shouted rather than asked.

" Jeremie you know very well I don't drink and you know very well Odd never drinks around me. Keep your voice down you'll wake her up."

" Then what the hell happened, was he pressuring you?"

" No. In fact I pressured him, keep your voice down." she begged again.

" How long has this been going on for?" he asked, not yelling.

" Saturday was the first time."

" How many times have you?"

" Twice," she answered, remembering the bathroom.

" Aelita, I know we've been arguing a lot but there was nothing we couldn't of settled alone."

" We haven't settled anything! When ever I think we might finish a topic you pull out another one. Nothing gets done around here, I wanna talk about Angela you bring up something else. We can't stay on a topic long enough to solve it!" Aelita shouted at him, she hated shouting.

"So you go out and fuck Odd!"

" I left to talk to him. Saturday was the only time I had even thought about it."

" You did a little more than think obviously! Dammit Aelita!"

" Be quiet, you'll wake her up," she said again, starting to cry.

" Why should I. I just found out my wife fucked my best friend!"

" Jeremie please, keep your voice..."

" Mommy?" asked a scared and confused five year old.

" Angela go to your room!" Jeremie shouted making her jump. Aelita picked Angela up and walked her upstairs. Jeremie walked to the door frame and waited for Aelita to come back down. When she did she was carrying Angela, and Angela's back pack. " Where are you going?"

" I'm leaving. Going to Odd's."

" Your not taking her," Jeremie said not wanting Angela taken away.

" Jeremie your angry and irrational. I'm not going to let you scare or hurt her."

" You'd think I'd hurt her?" Jeremie asked offended.

" Jeremie right now you're capable of anything. Think about Angela not yourself." Jeremie was going to say something back, but realized she was right. Aelita walked out the door with Angela.

* * *

"Four years after the divorces and our marriage Odd and I had this cute little guy right here." Aelita said, finishing her story. A little boy about five years old popped onto the screen. He had blonde hair that was hanging down just above his eyes.

The little boy waved at Xi and said, " Hi Xi, when are gonna get back?"

" Soon Charlie, so for now hold tight little man." It scared Xi how natural saying that was.

" Okay. So Odd how's your girl friend," he said mockingly.

" Don't have one right now," Odd jr began then noticed how natural it was to him. " This is so weird. It's like Xi and the sister he never knew but can't forget. Did dad want to a kid named Charlie?"

" Yes he did. Sissi wanted to name her son after her husband so that's why your Odd jr. Your dad loves the name Charlie, which might explain why you wanted to call yourself that."

" I still think Odd's a great name, " Sissi said though her face never appeared on the screen.

" None the less his name is Charlie like Xi remembered. Now honey I need to talk to Xi, go play with aunt Emilie," Aelita said, rubbing her son's hair.

" Okay mom, bye everybody."

" What happened with custody and the divorces?" Xi asked, thinking it was best to know as much about the future events to make sure they played out right. He wasn't planning on making the same mistake twice.

" Jeremie and I split custody, as did Sissi and Odd. The divorces were settled fairly quickly and almost immediately Odd and I got married. I said yes before he even finish proposing."

" What about Emilie, how did she end up marrying Jeremie?" Aelita and Emilie switched places on the chair, Aelita helping Emilie on the chair because she was almost nine months pregnant. Xi made the Emilie from their time leave, the last thing they needed was for her to know her future.

* * *

_Five years earlier_...

Emilie Leduc stepped out of her taxicab that had just stopped in front of Kadic academy. She paid the driver and shut the door. Walking through the gates of the school with a small briefcase and an umbrella, she made her way down the main path toward the campus that hadn't changed much in almost twenty years. It was a little bigger to accommodate more students living on campus but right now it was empty except for summer school attending students. Feeling a drop of rain hit her face she pulled open her umbrella and continued to walk toward the main office of the campus.

Closing her umbrella she stepped into the lobby, looking back to see it had started to pour in a matter of seconds.

Stepping to the secretaries desk she asked, " I have an appointment with headmaster Richards." The secretary didn't look up from her screen, she just pointed toward the door. " I can go in?" She nodded and Emilie stepped into the headmasters office as the secretary placed the nine of hearts under the ten of spades in solitaire.

When Emilie walked in the headmaster looked up and said, " You must be Ms. Leduc please have a seat." Emilie took a seat and began to drum her fingers on the briefcase. " Let's get to it. I've read your resume. Master degree in physics, biology, and english. Says you even graduated from Kadic twenty years ago, ninth out of three hundred and eleven. Been teaching for thirteen years and was recently let go because of a budget cut at the last high school you taught at, that about sums it up. I see no reason not to give a job as our biology teacher. You'll be replacing the one who just left, divorce and remarriage and moving and all that fun stuff. You ever been married?"

" No. I wouldn't mind it though. I'm pushing forty so I better soon before it's to late."

" Okay there is still a little paperwork but the job is pretty much yours, no one else interviewed. Congratulations, your hired," he asked reaching to shake her hand.

" Not to sound over anxious, but..."

" All first year teachers without a masters make sixty thousand, but you have a masters so you'll start at seventy." Emilie shook his hand and left. When she walked out she thought to herself, ' that was easy.' She was going to try for sixty thousand, and now she was excited because she was getting seventy thousand without trying to negotiate. Stepping outside she didn't even bother to put up her umbrella, she was that happy. Letting the rain soak her long hair she walked though the main courtyard and out the main gates.

Knowing of a bar a little down the road she decided to walk there. Emilie had just gotten her job back and she wanted a drink to celebrate. After five minutes of walking in the rain she turned the corner and a moment later stepped into the bar. Throwing her coat on a stool she sat down at the bar and ordered a beer. The bartender opened a fridge with a clear door and pulled out a cold beer, removing the cap before handing it to her. Emilie took a large gulp and let it settle for a second, then began to sip the bottle down.

For an hour and two more drinks, Emilie sat on the stool and observed the people in the bar. She was kinda hoping she'd recognize someone. It was twenty years ago she left the school and was wondering is some of her old classmates were still in the town.

When she downed her third a man walked past her wearing a sweater with his hood up, soaked from the rain. Emilie watched the man walk down across to the other end of the bar. The bartender seemed to know the man because before he asked, he put a beer down in front of him. Taking off his sweater Emilie finally saw the man face, and she recognized him. Blonde hair, glasses, and a over all astute look about him.

Grabbing her beer she walked across the bar and sat next to him. The man didn't seem to notice, and continued to drink his first beer. " Jeremie Belpois?" she asked.

Jeremie turned to face her. " Do I know you?" he asked unenthusiastically.

" You don't recognize me?"

" That's why I asked. Can I help you?"

" How bout now?" Emilie fixed her hair the way she wore it twenty years ago, and took her glasses out of her pocket and slipped them on. Jeremie looked at her for a few moments and then he remembered.

" Emilie Leduc." Emilie nodded and took her glasses off, she hated her glasses. " What brings you here?"

" Work, just got a job teaching at Kadic. What line of work are you in, something with science I bet."

" I teach physics at Kadic. Looks like you took my exwife's job." He said taking a sip from his beer.

" You and Aelita divorced, why?"

" She cheated on me. Cheated on me for Odd Della Robbia about three years ago. You remember Odd right?"

" How can I forget, he's Odd." For the next hour they talked about the last twenty years. Emilie had been in and out of relationships since high school, never settling down. They both thought the bar was getting a little crowded so left for a dinner around the block. An hour after that they were walking down the street, both a little drunk.

" Why teaching?" Emilie asked. That had been bugging her the entire night.

" I don't know, just seemed fun I guess, what about you?"

" Just like teaching." The alcohol was taking a number on both of them. Emilie stepped off the curb and almost fell but Jeremie caught her before she completely lost balance. Laughing at how stupid that was, Emilie stood straight again and notice how close she was to Jeremie. It was an awkward moment, her mind told her step back, but the alcohol said kiss him. She listened to the alcohol and leaned in and kissed him.

Snapping to her senses she pulled away and said, " Sorry I shouldn't have done..."

Before she could finish apologizing Jeremie moved in as fast as she had. Forgetting about apologizing she kissed him back hard and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. The rain hadn't stopped but it was only a little sprinkle now. Luckily both weren't drunk enough to puke.

" Do you live near by?" She asked thRough the kissing, messing with his hair. Ten minutes later they were opening the door to his apartment, still kissing sloppy and starting to undress on the way to the bedroom. It was a decent sized two room apartment with a fairly large living room and kitchen, own washer and dryer, and two bathrooms.

Emilie was fairly excited about this situation. It had been about seven months since the last time she had, had sex. She was drunk enough to make things interesting, but not too drunk. Jeremie was surprised how much control she had on him. Emilie pushed Jeremie onto his own bed and took off her shirt, then crawled onto the bed and on top of him.

Grabbing his shirt she pulled it of his body and asked, " Do you have condoms?" She wanted to at least know they could to this before she got too excited. Jeremie reached over and opened the drawer from his night stand. Taking one out of the box he placed it next to him and Emilie took her bra off. She was excited again.

Jeremie woke up the next morning with a small hangover. He remembered what happened the night before and was expecting to see Emilie next to him. Emilie wasn't in the bed. On his night stand was a note that he picked up and read. It had a number written down with the words, " call me when you wake up, love Emilie."

* * *

" Things went good from there and after five months of dating and two of living together we got married, and I guess you can guess what happened from there." Emilie said to Xi who was sitting at the computer listening to her story about how she married Jeremie. After a few more questions Aelita sat back on the chair.

" Alright Xi, I think you understand how big a deal it is to interfere. You ruined two marriages, creating two great ones from their ashes, you saved me, and brought two new people into the world in the process. It could have been worse."

" I think I made it better actually."

" You did make it better. We're pushing our luck though. I'm only still alive because I don't teach at Kadic, the building burned down and killed Jeremie. He died in car crash the first time. I don't think xana even knows I'm alive so I'm hiding here to make sure he doesn't find out. Before you go I'm sending you something. We fixed the program with the help of Emilie. She's a computer genius, that's probably why Jeremie married her after divorcing me. Emilie's expecting her baby anytime now."

" What are you sending us?"

" Don't freak out, but we're sending you a gun."

" Why a gun. My father was killed by a gun. What if xana does what he did to my father to us."

" He can't with this guns ammunition. Emilie created a bullet that releases a short ranged, but powerful electro magnetic pulse. It goes off on impact so shouldn't damage a human even at close range. Make the shots count, we were short on time and material so only could make one cartridge of ammo. It should temporarily stun xana, even if he's possessed someone. So if he pulls the trigger on himself, well you get it."

" Thanks, sounds helpful. I'll explain things to Angela for you."

" Thank you." The screen began to flash, alerting of a transfer. " The gun's there, we should sign off now, goodbye and good luck kids." Aelita turned off her link and Xi did the same. He spun the chair around and looked at everyone else in the room. Emilie seemed to be the most in shock about what happened. She was seeing what could happen when messing with time. Emilie was going to marry Jeremie some day. The nerd, the geek, Jeremie Belpois the boy who was practically married to a computer chip.


	14. forgive and forget

They left the lab after hiding the gun on top of the elevator, hoping that their parents wouldn't check there. It was already past noon so most of the students at Kadic were on the soccer field, watching the game or playing it. Xi would have played but didn't have time. He had to find Angela. She wasn't her room, in the library, or at the game. After about of hour of looking for her or seeing if her cell was on he found her at an abandoned house. Aelita had told Xi she went there to think.

Xi walked through the door of the destroyed house. Furniture was tipped over, glass broken, and had an eerie feel to it.

" Angela!" Xi shouted hoping to hear her reply, he didn't. He went up the stairs and stood in the empty hallway. " Angela?" he repeated with not response. Checking every the room, he found her on in the last room. It was trashed, and filled with old toys. On the wall was a torn poster of what used to be a cute little kitty wearing a dress.

" Angela, what are you doing here?" He asked walking over to her.

Angela was sitting with her knees to her chest, pressing her face into her legs. She looked up at Xi and said, " I hate you Xi," she began wiping tears off her face. " You destroyed my parents marriage. Just go away."

" Angela."

" Don't even start. This is all your fault. Everything is your fault," she shot back standing up, glaring at him. " Anything that we might of had together, we don't anymore. So just go to hell and leave me alone!" Angela shouted, running out of the run leaving Xi. Xi didn't even try to stop her. He sat on the bed and took a deep breath trying to get his mind back together with the recent events. It made him almost angry because she said earlier it wasn't his fault. And she called her mom a hypocrite.

* * *

Things between Xi and Angela didn't improve by the end of the week, it got worse. Angela began to try to force a love relationship between her parent as some ill attempt to reverse the events Xi had caused. It took Xi a week before he noticed her trying and quickly cornered her in the hallway next to her room.

" What the hell are you thinking Angela!" Xi shouted at her.

" I'm fixing your mess," She said with anger.

" You could be making it worse. By doing this you could be killing yourself or your brother."

" I have a brother?"

" Half brother. Aelita introduced him after you said you wished she was dead. He's really cute to."

" Charlie isn't that cute," she answered before she knew it.

" See you remember. You can't do this."

" Yes I can."

" In case you've forgotten, I ruined Odd's parent's marriage and he's not mad."

" Odd's an idiot," she said.

" He may not be the smartest person in the world but at least he has enough common sense to notice his parents are generally unhappy with each other," Xi shot back quickly.

" My parents were happy. They never fought."

" They did. Just not in front of you. Even in the history your familiar with they were fighting. Not like you'd remember the fighting in this history, you were five when they got divorced. Now get your head out of ass and realized what your doing."

She slapped him across the left side of his face and shouted," SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE! I'M DOING THIS WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. MY PARENTS AREN'T GOING TO DIVORCE!" She walked into her room and slammed the door shut loud enough to alert the school. Odd jr was walking down the hall and saw the argument. He ran over to Xi and saw that Angela had cut his lower lip

" Did she just hit you?" Xi nodded and began to walk away from her room. " Think she'll get over it."

" No I don't Odd. She's trying to force her parents to date each other and if I stop her, well this is never going to end."

" But you can't let her do this."

" I'm not going to. Even if I have to hit her back, I won't let her makes things worse."

" Things aren't even that bad in this history. My parents are divorced big deal shit happens," Odd jr said walking next to Xi. " At least I won't have to hear them argue and pretend everything is alright in front of me."

A week later Angela was trying even harder to make her parents fall in love. She was giving her mother tips on how he should approach her father. Luckily for Xi her father was still to concerned with monitoring xana and failing his classes. Even as nothing was working she kept at it. Xi had tried to talk her out of it several times but she never responded. At the end of the second week of her attempts Xi couldn't let her continue.

Angela was walking down the halls in the dormitories after a long day of making her parents fall in love. The moment she unlocked her door and opened it, she felt a hand grab her arm and she was thrown to the ground in her room. She heard the door shut and looked up to face her assailant only to see Xi. Rising to her feet quickly, she looked at him and said, " What the hell was that for!"

" This ends now," Xi said to her. " I can't allow you to do this any longer. Please stop so I don't have to do something drastic."

" Like what Xi?"

" Just please stop. Your mother is happy this time."

" She was happy last time and don't you dare say she wasn't."

" She wasn't."

" I'm still going to do this and there's nothing you can do to stop," she couldn't finish the sentence because Xi had just slapped her the same way she had to him, though not as hard. He wanted to make his point, but didn't want to hurt her. Angela stood there holding her face in shock.

" Did you just hit me?" She asked shocked.

" What would make you think that," Xi shot back sarcastically. Angela skipped slapping and tried to punch Xi in the face, but he stepped out of the way and grabbed her arm. Xi then pulled her arm behind her back and softly slammed her front against her door, holding her firm. She began to struggle from his grip but he easily held her.

" Let me go you bastard!" she shouted, trying to break free. Xi pulled her arm up and she began to struggle more. " Your breaking my arm!"

" Calm down Angela. I'll let you go if you promise to talk to your mother."

" No! I have nothing to say to that cheating bitch!" Xi shut her up by pulling her arm more, and she let out a scream of pain.

" Yes you do. Now unless you agree, I'm not letting you go. Your going to hear her out."

" I can't even look at my mother anymore."

" You talk with your mouth not with your eyes. Now promise you'll talk to her."

" I promise," she said very unconvincingly. Xi knew she was lying and pulled her arm tighter and she let out another yelp of pain.

" Say it like you mean it." Angela began to struggle again and Xi pulled it as hard as he could without breaking her arm.

" I promise, just let me go! I'll let her explain just please let me go." Xi let her go as she moved around him and fell to her bed holding her arm.

" Tomorrow at three in the afternoon is the next meeting. Your going even if I have to drag you," Xi said opening the door.

" I'll go okay. Just please don't do that again."

" I never wanted to. You gave me no other option. Tomorrow at three." He shut her door leaving her in tears as she waiting for the pain in her arm to stop throbbing.

During lunch Angela stayed in her room as Odd jr and Xi were in the cafeteria. Xi told him why she wasn't here after they finished eating.

" Let me get this straight," Odd jr began taking a sip of his milk. " You slapped her, placed her in an arm lock, pinned her against her door, and then made her swear to talk to her mother."

" Yeah, that about sums it up."

" When you said you'd hit her if you had to, I thought it was metaphor. You actually hit her?"

" Yes I did. Soft enough to not damage anything," Xi said leaning back in his chair cracking his knuckles.

" What if this gets to my grandpa, then your screwed. I mean slamming her against her door."

" I wouldn't say slam. It was more like a firm nudge. Either way you see it, she won't tell. She likes to deal with things on her own. So tomorrow you get her because she kind of hates me now."

" I wonder why."

* * *

Xi was the first in the lab while Odd jr and Angela came a few minutes after he arrived. He already opened the link and was talking to Emilie about the gun she designed to stun xana. The subject quickly moved to the baby she had a week ago, a seven pound girl with curly light brown hair named Katerina or Kat as Emilie preferred to call her. Angela walked in and looked over the chair in awed at how cute she looked and was shocked to hear that the baby was her half sister. Shortly after she arrived Emilie said her goodbyes as Aelita took the chair. Xi switching places with Angela who reluctantly took a seat.

" Well I see Xi explained things," Aelita said, starting the conversation.

" He didn't tell me anything, I was too mad to listen."

" Then why are you here?"

" Xi put me in a arm lock and made me swear to talk to you." Aelita looked at Xi who shrugged.

" Well if it worked." Aelita began her long explanation about the divorce and everything that implied on that subject. Angela was actually beginning to understand. Though she still hated her mother for cheating on her father, it was a much more controlled anger. Then Aelita got of the chair for a few minutes so Angela could talk to Charlie. Just by talking to him, memories began to rush into her mind. She didn't see him during the year but every Christmas and summer he bugged the hell out her.

After a moment with her brother Aelita took the chair again. She wasn't expecting it so soon but Angela began to apologize.

" Mom I'm sorry," Angela said looking up to face her mother. " What I said last time, I didn't mean it. I'm glad your alive and I wouldn't have it any other way."

" I know honey. You were just upset. It was a lot of information to give you at one time. I'm sorry to. I never wanted to hurt you or your father, but that's just the way it happened and we can't change that." She answered. " Now will you please stop pushing the relationship and just let it happen how it should. We don't have a real kiss till we're sixteen."

" Okay mom." Before the conversation could continue Xi cell started to ring. He recognized the ring tone as a text message and read it quickly. ' ABORT.' was all that was written.

" There coming we need to get out of here," Xi said putting the phone back into his pocket.

" I need to go mom," Angela said, knowing what Xi meant.

" I heard. I love you Angela."

" Love you mom." They both ended the link and Xi took over, erasing the history before they arrived. Right when he finished the elevator began to go up and the three hid in the crawl space above the lab and waited. Jeremie, Ulrich, Yumi, Odd, and Aelita walked into the empty lab. Jeremie sat on the chair and began to check the system for anything weird or unusual. After ten minutes he found nothing.

Jeremie slammed his fist on the arms of the chair and shouted," Just show yourself you bastard!"

" Calm down Einstein," Odd said, putting his hand on his friends shoulder. " Your destroying yourself. Take a break for goodness sake. I'm not asking you, I'm begging you."

" Calm down? Calm down? How can I stay calm when xana could attack at any moment."

" Jeremie, you spent so much time predicting the attack, when it happens you won't be helpful. What's the largest amount of sleep you've gotten in the past three months?" Yumi asked him turning the chair around to make him look at her. " Please just take a break. One hour maybe two."

" I can't Yumi."

" Yes you can dammit. Look at yourself. Your scaring us. I don't know who you are anymore. No one does. Just please get some sleep. We'll monitor for you, just please don't do this anymore." she was crying now. It was a cheap shot because Jeremie couldn't stand to see his friends cry. Even less for him.

" Okay, maybe a few hours." He said finally giving in.

" Take as long as you need. I'll take you back to the school."

" I'll go to. Odd can you and Aelita start scanning the system again?" Ulrich said looking to his friend. They both nodded and then the three left on the elevator leaving Odd and Aelita alone.

" Alright I know you're here, so just come out." said Odd looking up at the rafters. " Travis, or should I say Xi. Is my son up there as well?" Xi began to panic. Aelita told Odd, and Odd can't keep a secret. Little late now to say he wasn't there. Xi climbed out of the crawl space and dropped down to the floor, followed by Odd jr and Angela.

" I'm sorry Xi, I couldn't hide it from him."

" What did he do, know you had a secret and went on a playing with my hair strike?" Xi said as a joke.

" Actually that's exactly what I did." Odd said while Aelita rubbed his hair because of the mere mention of it. " I know to how to make her talk. So Charlie you're my son from the future. I couldn't believe it at first but when I look at you, you look almost as good looking as me."

" Mom said you were conceited. And dude, what's the deal with purple," Odd jr answered pointing at his clothes.

" Who is your mother? She never would tell me. Said it would traumatize me forever. Is it really that bad?" he asked looking to Aelita. " It can't be Sissi bad right?" Xi almost laughed at how close he was. He had just said her name and yet he hadn't taken into consideration that it just might be her.

" Oh no not that bad. I mean Sissi, yeah right. That could never happen," Xi said sarcastically. Odd was good at telling when things were sarcastic.

" Wait a second. Are you saying it is Sissi?"

" Don't shoot the messenger." Odd began to laugh to their surprise. They expected him to roll into a little ball and cry in a corner while sucking his thumb. Maybe he was in denial. What ever it was he was laughing at it like it was the funniest he had ever heard.

After his laughing fit he calmed himself down and said," That's great so who do I really marry."

" Odd," Angela said slowly, " We're not joking. You marry Elizabeth Sissi Delmas."

" Do I at least divorce her?"

" Nope." Aelita said, still not knowing about the change in events.

" That sucks," he said with no enthusiasm or emotion.

* * *

Now that Odd knew, Xi was finding it easier to get around his parents for the next two weeks. If he couldn't break the conversation Odd, or Aelita would help. His parents were becoming a little less close during that time. They argued occasionally over stupid things like, why were you late, who were you with, stupid jealously. The entire time they were dating William was trying to wedge himself between them, and after a month Ulrich had taken all he could with that and got into a fight with him.

Yumi didn't agree with the fighting and broke up with Ulrich on the excuse he didn't trust her. Just like Keiko had said they broke up after a month of dating and if she was right again, in three months they'd be back at it. With Yumi on the rebound William tried again and got slapped when still trying even after it was obvious she was dating Ulrich and had no intention of dating him. In the end none of the boys got what they wanted.

Jeremie was spending less time on the computer now. He realized what he was doing to himself and began to improve his school work and his social life, picking up the pieces he dropped a long time ago. In the next month, some of the days he didn't even scan the system. He knew those days could very will possible be the day he needs to scan for something, but he was having to much fun being normal again to care.


	15. awkward moments

In mid December snow came swift and in large amounts. It was a foot high over night and kept snowing throughout the week. The sky cleared and on the Saturday that followed the students held a giant snowball fight that the teachers tried to stop but got hit in the cross fire so just joined. Xi was ducked behind one of the several forts made with a snowball in his hand ready for anything. A second later Odd senior dove over the top and huddled against the wall, Xi hearing the wall getting hit from attempts to hit Odd.

" This is awesome!" Odd shouted before standing up and chucking a snowball at Nicolas, hitting him in the back of the head. " Did you guys do this in your time?"

" Every winter. It was much bigger in my time. The school had more people and we built the forts higher," Xi said, looking over the top and ducking quickly from a stray shot intended for someone else.

" Who else knows besides Aelita and me. Does Ulrich and Yumi?"

" Nope. Neither does Jeremie. Emilie Leduc knows. She got suspicious and stole a stand of my parents and my hair. Then had her father run a DNA test. He's a genetic researcher," answered Xi looking over again then throwing his snowball, hitting Ms. Hertz in the arm.

" Nice shot." Xi was hit in the side of his head from his left. He looked to see Angela smiling innocently with her hands behind her back. Packing a snowball he jumped over the fort and ran toward her, dodging a few more stray shots. Angela ran for an unoccupied fort, but Xi tackled her into it before she could safely take cover. They rolled into the fort with Xi on top with her waist between his knees. In a mocking way he softly dropped his snowball on her arm.

" You got me, oh no," Angela said looking in his eyes and smiling again. She grabbed his coat collar, pulled him in, and kissed him. Xi noticed she was getting better at this. This one was different, she added tongue. It lasted for about a minute before Xi stopped to look at her. He was about to start the next kiss, but Angela grabbed some snow and shoved it into his face, pushing him off her laughing.

" Don't let your guard down in snowball fight." She laughed hard and began to run. Xi shook the snow off his face and ran after her laughing as well.

Even Jeremie participated in the fun, though most of it he was behind a snow mound with Aelita making snowballs for their team, though the game was becoming a free for all. Ulrich was staying away from Yumi, he just couldn't look at her since she dumped him. Yumi however just wanted to hit Ulrich, almost every snowball she threw was intended for him, not as a joke either. Ulrich was ducked behind a fort when he saw William coming toward the fort. He didn't see Ulrich and when he reached it Ulrich popped up from behind the wall and chucked a ball at his face as hard as he could. Over all he was having a good day.

The snow lasted all the way up to Christmas, where most of the school left to go home for the break. Only twenty people were left at the school to spend the break. Xi, Odd jr, Angela, Aelita, Sissi, and some other kids. When they went to the lab they didn't have to worry about being caught, except for Yumi but she had scheduled days to go there so they knew when not to go. They talked to the people from their time more, Xi talking to his sister a lot of the time.

* * *

During the Christmas break, Xi and Angela's relationship grew larger than it ever had been before. Only a month ago she said she didn't want anything to do with him, and now they were back in game. The snow fort was only their third kiss, but that sparked something big between them. They were hanging out more and when the mood was right or it felt appropriate, they would begin to kiss. In the break they kissed more in five minutes than in the last three months, but for the most part they never lasted longer than ten seconds. Odd jr would barge in and ruin the moment.

On the days Odd jr didn't destroy the mood with his presence the make out session could last anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour. Angela was becoming better with every kiss and Xi was beginning to even be impressed by her. During the final week before the break ended Xi and Angela deliberately made out on Odd's bed, knowing he'd walk in without knocking. When he did walk in he wasn't alone. Milly was with him and she shut the door quickly.

" Whoa! Sorry!" Milly said before slamming the door.

" Was that Milly?" Angela asked looking at the closed door.

" Odd said she'd be getting back today."

" Is he dating her?"

" No, he thinks she's cool though."

" So he likes her."

A knock came at the door and Odd jr shouted, " Stop making out on my bed!" They both laughed and switched beds, only because Xi's was more comfortable.

* * *

After the new year the second semester began, as well as a schedule change for classes. They all still had lunch and gym together, but nothing else. Which was good because those were the only classes they could socialize without getting into trouble. Xi got extremely unlucky when he was in the same history class as his mother, who recently had taken a liking to him, which disturbed him greatly. Even worse was he was placed next to her in the back of classroom. To make things even worse, a pair project was assigned for the class and they were randomly paired together. Xi was beginning to hate January.

Xi and Yumi were in his room doing the project. She was sitting in the chair to the desk with her feet propped up, using his bed as a foot stool. Xi was leaning back on his bed, reading off random events from world war one to use in the project. Yumi was writing down the notes and when she thought they had enough she stopped.

" That should be enough," she said lowering her legs and standing up. She fell to the bed sitting up a moment later.

" You okay?" Xi asked, because it seemed like she slipped.

" My leg fell asleep," she answered rubbing it to get the blood flowing. Xi flung his feet over the edge of his bed and closed the book, throwing it across the room onto Odd jr's bed.

" You know Travis, there's something about you I can't get over." She said shifting her body a little closer. Xi moved further away from her, but she moved closer again. Placing her hand on his she leaned in and Xi quickly rose to his feet and moved away from her. " What's wrong?"

" No. This is just too awkward." Xi said, already knowing what she was doing.

" How is it awkward? I mean it was your idea to take the project to your room. Why did you do that?"

" Because my friend Charlie is annoying and I can't focus around him. So the lunchroom's out. I can't leave campus so your house is out, so this was a last resort."

Yumi smiled and said, " If your nervous I don't mind. I'm a little nervous too," while moving toward him, pinning him to his door blocking retreat.

" Why...why are you nervous?" Xi asked with a shaky voice praying something like this would never happen on this adventure.

" Because. I wanted to do this." She moved in quickly and tried to kiss him, but Xi ducked and slid around her.

" Whoa, no, no no no no no. What are you doing?" Xi asked waving his arms in front of him.

" What's it look like I'm doing?" Yumi asked, as if puckered lips didn't explain it.

" Well whatever it is. My answer is no. I have a girlfriend."

"Well then forget about her," she said, trying to kiss him again, thinking he would this time. He jumped around her and fell on Odd jr's bed.

" I can't. Look just please get the hell out of my room."

" Why?" She asked, thinking his behavior was cute.

" Just please, get the fuck out. I don't want to. Just go." Yumi stared at him for a few moments, noticing he had no interest in her at all.

" Fine!" she shouted grabbing her backpack, opened the door and slammed it on her way out. Walking down the hall she accidently pumped into Odd jr without apologizing. He shook it off and went to his room where he found Xi, yelling into his pillow.

" What happened? Your mom's pissed about something." Xi pulled his head up and looked at Odd jr. He almost looked sick.

" She tried to kiss me," Xi said cramming his face back into his pillow.

" She what?" Odd jr said laughing.

" Dude it's not funny. I feel like I'm going to puke."

" You should. Oh my god. That is actually almost funny that she has no idea who you really are. If she finds out, that'll be the highlight of her life, hitting on her own son."

" Your not helping," Xi mumbled with his face still crammed in the pillow.

" Not trying to help. Good luck with blocking that memory," He said laying on his bed and putting on his headphones.

" Odd, just shut the hell up for a change, I don't need your bullshit right now." Odd jr didn't answer him, because he was already fast asleep. " How does he do that?" Xi asked, trying to fall asleep. He was definitely starting to hate January.

* * *

A week later Xi was in the gym after school with Odd jr, doing their workout routine with Angela and Milly watching them. They were in the middle of sparing when Ulrich walked in and walked a foot away from Xi, looking very angry.

" What the hell did you do to her?" He shouted at him.

" What are you talking about?"

" You did said something or did something to Yumi. She's been really sad and mad lately."

" Why do you care, she broke up with you?" Ulrich tried to punch him, but Xi took a step out of the way. He swung again, and again and but Xi was to quick with Ulrich punching air. When he over swung Xi grabbed Ulrich's arm and pulled it around his back, pinning him against the mats on the wall.

" Calm down tiger, take it easy," Xi said restraining Ulrich.

" Let me go!" Ulrich shouted struggling to get free. He pushed off with his feet, knocking Xi back but still holding his arm, a second later slamming him against the mats again.

Pulling his arm harder Ulrich winced in pain and said, " I'm calm, let go." Xi released him and Ulrich began to rub his arm. " What did you say to her?"

" She tried to kiss me and I denied her. That's it, I can't explain it better." Ulrich looked mad about it, but glad that he hadn't kiss her.

" You didn't take advantage of it."

" No, I told her off. Now if you excuse me I need to go to my room, my exercise session is over." Xi walked past Ulrich who made no attempted to stop him. He picked up his bag and left the gym with Odd jr, Angela, and Milly. Ulrich sat against the wall trying to get his head straight.

January ended, but the snow didn't. It snowed another foot in two days and Saturday afternoon snowball fights continued. Ulrich didn't attend any of them, he stayed in his room during the fights, laying on his bed trying to figure out something to think about. His mind would wander off thinking about Yumi every other minute, but he'd shake it off and start trying to think of something else, though when not trying to think of something it naturally makes you think of it more. It was haunting him, so he went to sleep, but never stayed asleep for more than a minute at a time.


	16. Just go home

In mid February the snow began to melt and by the beginning of March it was almost all gone, all three feet of it. Leaves were starting to bud, and the grass began to grow green again. Fresh spring flowers started to bloom, though spring hadn't begun. Some of the smaller trees had almost half of their leaves back, the others trees learning from their example. With all of the beautiful scenery, Xi was still on edge. Xana hadn't shown himself yet, when he was supposed to start attacking almost two months ago.

" Why isn't he here?" Xi asked the Aelita from his time. " Jeremie said it took him four months after the new school year started to show. It's almost been six months. If you add last summer, it was nine months ago since he escaped."

" Xi I don't know, nothing's changed here. As my memory tells me he appeared seven months after freeing himself. Maybe history hasn't caught up with this time," answered Aelita falling into the chair, blowing a piece of her hair off of her face.

" You're a lot of help. I need to go, I have test tomorrow."

" Your actually trying?"

" I don't like being known as an idiot what ever time period I'm in. Bye." Xi logged off and made went back to the school. He arrived in his room to see Odd jr was still hanging out with Milly. Odd jr didn't admit it, but Xi could tell he did like her even if she was three years younger.

There was a knock on the door and Xi picked himself and answered the door, seeing it was the last person he wanted to see.

" So Xi what are you doing over spring break, your staying here right," asked Sissi with a big smile.

" No I don't wanna hang out with you." He slammed the door and heard a knock a second later. He opened it again.

" That was rude. Your just shy that's all."

" I'm not shy. I'll be hanging it with Angela and Charlie the entire time. So piss off you conceited little bitch." Milly giggled. He slammed it harder than last time and heard her foot steps stomping away in anger. Ten seconds later there was another knock on the door.

" Dammit do you ever give up!" He swung his door open and shouted, " WHAT!" Standing there was Yumi who looked a little scared at the moment.

" Bad time?" she asked nervously. 'What is with her and nerves, Dad said she wasn't ever nervous,' Xi thought to himself.

" No, bad day. What do you want?" he said stepping out and closing the door.

" To say I was sorry. I pressured you to do something you weren't comfortable with, and I feel really guilty," She said not looking at him. " Your loyal and I tried to change that."

" It took you two months to say that?" Xi asked leaning his shoulder on his door frame.

" Yeah it did. It kills me to say I was wrong, but I was wrong. Can we just pretend like that awkward moment didn't happen and be friends."

" How about this. We'll stick with being good acquaintances. Which means we aren't required to hang out, eat lunch, or other friend activities. What is required is a nice friendly hello when passing each other. Fair enough?" He asked reaching out to shake her hand.

" Fair enough." she answered shaking his hand, then hugging him.

" Friends hug, not acquaintances."

Yumi let him go quickly and said, " Sorry."

" I'm just joking," he hugged her and she hugged him. " You can let me go now."

" Sorry, well see you later."

" Bye." She walked down the hall and turned the corner as Xi shut his door and lay on his bed, falling asleep a moment later.

* * *

Spring break had arrived and the school was empty, except for Xi, Angela, Aelita, Jeremie, both Odd's, Emilie, and unfortunately Sissi. Xi and Angela were finding it harder to be alone for just one minute without someone finding them. Sissi would barge in, or Odd jr would barge in and Angela was becoming the most upset about this. She told Xi she just wanted to be alone with him for a while though she never said what they'd be doing the entire time. One day it actually happened.

" Odd please. Just get her off our backs for an hour," Angela was begging Odd senior for some cover. " One hour please. Take her to the movies, get some lunch just make her leave us alone. I want to be enjoying my break. I'll pay for it to."

" You know that's like asking me to jump out of plane with anvil strapped to my back."

" Please. You marry her anyway. Come on just this once and I'll never ask for anything again. Please just take Sissi away from us." Angela had grabbed him by the shoulders and was shaking him during her pleading.

" Alright already. I'll take her. You owe me big time though."

" Thank you!" Angela said and began to run toward the dorms.

" What do you have planned that's so important you have to be alone?" Odd asked, . Angela didn't answer, she just ran away to tell Xi she had gotten them their window.

Fifteen minutes later they were in his room, making out on his bed. Angela had started this session and was kissing harder than she ever had before. Xi noticed so tried to keep up. The entire time they'd been laying next to each other, but Angela got on top of him and began to undo her shirt.

" Whoa slow down," Xi said , laying up. " It's a little soon to even be thinking about that." She stopped and looked at him, then she kept undoing her shirt till Xi could see her bra. " Are you even sure?"

" Of coarse," she lied. Xi always knew when she was lying.

" Are you sure. Because you don't sound sure." She was so nervous and unsure, Xi could actually hear her heart beat.

Xi grabbed her hands, looked into her eyes and said, " I don't want to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. I'm perfectly fine with the way things are right now, and I'd hate to spoil this relationship by mistiming the biggest step in it." She let her hands move away from his and began to redo her shirt. She was blushing from embarrassment, as she got off him and sat on the edge of his bed.

" Most guys would just jump right in on the first opportunity to get laid," She said looking at the ground.

" You've known me long enough to know I'm not like other guys. I respect your heart and your body and wouldn't do anything to harm either."

" I know. I'm just so freaking embarrassed now. Look I'll just go okay."

" You don't have to."

" I kind of have to think about this alone. Your right, we shouldn't rush to the finish, we should just enjoy the ride." She stood up and left his room. Xi let his feet touch the ground as he leaned back and took a deep breath. That explained a lot. She'd been the nervous the entire week and he hadn't known why until now. Thinking sex was now necessary to keep the relationship flowing she was willing to do it, but he wasn't willing to let her do something she might later regret.

* * *

Odd sr came back after having left with Sissi, and actually seemed happy. At closer observation, he seemed disappointed in himself. Sitting on the bench, Angela ran by still blushing and nervous from the moment with Xi. She saw Odd and sat next to him.

" How did it go?" she asked, hoping his day went better than her's.

" Pretty weird. I took her to get some ice cream, her questioning why I was taking her. Then Jeremie called, I was eating with two hands so I put it on speaker phone. He told me to get to the factory and check it for him, because he was out with Aelita elsewhere. Sissi began to ask questions and before I knew it she was in the lab."

" She's knows now?" Angela asked. Odd answered with a nod. " Is that why your acting weird?"

" Yes she knows. That's not why I'm acting weird, she kissed me," he said with a shaky voice. " I've been kissed before but this one was weird. Usually I don't care about a girl to be shocked about a kiss. I'm seeing a whole new side of Sissi I never knew was there."

" Is this a joke set up?"

" No, and that's what freaking me out. Sissi and I have always been enemies but now I don't know if were friends, enemies, allies, or something like that. She still likes Ulrich but she said she liked me before he came in fifth grade in the middle of the school year."

Angela was putting the pieces together and smiled. " You like her," she said in a way hoping to make him embarrassed.

" No I don't," he protested.

" You like her, you like her, you like her," she sang in melody, again hoping to embarrass him.

" Will you knock it off!"

" Not tell you admit you like her," she sang still in melody. Some people were watching now and listening closely for who Odd liked.

" What if I do like Sissi?" he asked looking at her. " I like her okay, just stop singing. Your like a fourth grader."

" You really like me Odd?" asked Sissi's voice from behind them. Odd looked at Angela nonverbally saying, ' you son of a bitch,' with Angela smiling innocently. Sissi stepped in front of him and looked at him. " Do you?" she asked sitting next to him waiting for him to turn around.

Odd took a breath and answered, " Yes. Over the years I guess I was unknown to myself pushing you away to throw you off. If Aelita wasn't distraught during Halloween then I would have taken you, and..." before Odd could continue with things he could have done with Sissi, she slid next and kissed him with whoever was still at the school watching. Angela got off the bench and walked away as Sissi and Odd continued to make out.

* * *

When Xi woke up the next morning Odd jr wasn't there. He shrugged, thinking he left to get breakfast, then his head began to ache. Xi rolled off his bed as images rushed past his mind. The images stopped as soon as they began and Xi colleted his thoughts about what he had seen, and what he hadn't. Through every frame he saw, not one held Odd jr. His phone rang and Xi told Angela to get to the lab. He checked his listed numbers and strangely Odd's wasn't listed.

Xi dialed it and a moment later a voice said, " The number you have dialed does not exist, please hang up and try again." He tried three more time and then left without him.

When Xi and Angela arrived at the lab, Xi quickly loaded the disk and Emilie was at the computer crying. " What happened there, what did we change?" Xi asked, getting straight to the reason they were there.

Emilie looked up and answered, " Sissi is dead. So is Kat." She began to cry deeper, making it difficult for her to breathe. " It's Angela's fault to. She made Odd take Sissi on a date and completely fucked everything up."

" Calm down. What happened?" Xi asked again.

" Sissi and Odd began to date sooner. Her and Odd went on a date that they never did before and Sissi was raped and killed during it."

" When does that happen?"

" It happens tomorrow in your time, so you better break them up if you want to see Odd jr again."

" Why is Kat gone?" Xi asked.

" Odd and Aelita began there affair sooner because Odd never married Sissi. She didn't tell Jeremie in three days this time, it took three years. Jeremie caught them, and shot Odd, sending himself to jail, and Odd to the grave. Jeremie died in prison. It's Angela's fault. It's your fault you selfish little brat!" She yelled looking straight at Angela who looked like she was going to faint.

" I know your angry and sad but don't yell at my daughter!" Aelita shouted at Emilie. Emilie began to cry into her hands.

" I had her for five months. Then suddenly she vanished like she was never there. You have no idea what it's like to lose a child. Having Kat was the best thing in my life and now it never happened. We lost six people because of your daughters little request." Angela stepped back and lost her balance, but recovered before she hit the ground.

" What have I done?" she asked herself, crawling into a little ball and began to crying.

" I'll break them up and get Kat back for you, it won't be easy though. It could change something else."

" I know, but it's a risk we have to take. I'm signing off, take care." Xi cut the link off and turned to look at Angela.

Xi kneeled next tot her and said, " I think you should go home."

Angela looked up at him and asked, " I did one thing wrong. You changed something to."

" That's not the point. After what I did you should know not to interfere, and you did anyway. Not to help someone, you did it for yourself, to be with me. I'm not worth that. Now my best friend is gone, his mother and father are dead, along with your father, not to mention Charlie and Kat. I can do this better on my own, so go home." He answered, quickly and coldly.

" Xi please let me help."

" Angela your not taking this seriously. I can't do this and worry about what you'll fuck up next. You're a burden that I don't have the time to put up with. You haven't helped from the moment you got here. Just get in the scanner and go home." Angela tried to think of anyway to convince him to let her stay, but she couldn't think with her mind thinking of to many things at once. She stood up and boarded the elevator and took it to the scanner room. She stepped into the scanner and left.

Emilie was sitting on the chair when an alert popped up about an oncoming transfer.

" Someone's coming through, Aelita go see who it is." Aelita stepped into the elevator that took her to the scanner room. Waiting for the doors to open, she began to think of who was coming through. The doors opened and Angela was sitting there, crying in the scanner.

" Angela, why did you come back," her mother asked, helping her out of the scanner.

" I'm not helping, I'm making things worse. Xi made me come back, said he can do it better if he wasn't worried about my actions complicating things. He's right, I don't have any business helping if I'm incapable of helping in anyway. I'm useless," she said crying into her mothers shoulder. " I let you down."

" Don't cry. Xi will forgive you and I do. Just stay away from Emilie, not to scare you but I think she's capable of killing now. I'm not using that as a euphemism, she might literally kill you. I won't let her though stay close to me we're going up."

* * *

Xi watched as the transfer finished and Angela was finally out of his hair. Taking a deep breathe he got off the chair and left. It bothered him he'd be doing this alone, but he didn't have an option. When the elevator opened he left for the school and found Odd and Sissi on the bench cuddling. They were falling fast and Xi knew this was going to be harder than he thought.

The entire day Xi was trying to break them up, with no success. It was strange to him that the entire school didn't notice Odd jr's disappearance. Not even Milly. Xi thought they didn't remember because technically saying, he never came. People began to question about Angela, so Xi began a rumor she moved away. After a day Xi had reached his deadline so managed to corner Odd alone.

" Odd you can't go out with Sissi today," he said barging into his room without knocking.

Odd looked up at him and asked, " Why not? Are you jealous."

" Of coarse not, I just..."

" Just shut up," his phone rang and he said, " Your already there, alright be there in a few, bye. I'm meeting her see you later."

Xi had no option but to tell him. " She's going to die today."

" What, what about Odd jr, he wouldn't be born."

" That's why he's gone. Angela changed something and now Sissi is scheduled for death today. Where is she?"

Odd was still holding his phone, shaking now. " She's alone. Does she die off campus." Xi nodded and Odd ran out the door as fast as he could while dialing his phone. " Sissi, get out of there. Meet me at the gates instead."

" Sorry, she isn't here, she dropped her phone and now I'm chasing her, have fun lover boy." said a man. The phone hung up and Odd ran faster, with Xi right behind him.

Sissi was running away with a man chasing her. Her shoes weren't made for running so her pursuer was gaining quick. She felt a hand grab her hair, which threw her off balance and to the ground. He tried to jump on her but she kicked him in the face and kept running. She was still in the alleys trying to find the street so someone could help her. It took her five minutes of running to find the entrance to the streets and began to run for them, but didn't make it half way. The man pinned her against the wall. She looked at him and he didn't look much older than her, maybe about nineteen. Trying to fight back, the man over powered her and began to feel her body, greatly to her disliking.

Sissi punched the man in the face and he slapped her, making her let out a high pitched squeal. Trying to scream the man covered her mouth and continued to feel her. Tears were running down her face as she struggled but didn't succeed. He threw Sissi to the ground hard and covered her mouth again before she could scream. He reached under her shirt, and she began to struggle more when he began to caress her breasts.

" Nice for a kid," the man said insidiously. Slowly sliding his fingers down her stomach he slid one hand into her pants and began to rub. Sissi began to struggle more and the man slapped her again.

Removing his hand he undid his jeans, and undid hers. When he had her pants to her knees he was knocked of her. The man frantically looked up and saw Odd holding a pole about to swing. The man rolled out of the way and punched Odd, a second later getting punched by Xi. Odd recovered and sent the pole to the mans back and continued to swing. Sissi had already gotten herself back together and was watching as Odd beat the hell out of the man.

" Odd stop!" she shouted grabbed the pole and throwing it aside. " I think you got him." Speaking to soon several other men began to surround them.

Xi and Odd stood back to back as their odds became worse. Ten bad guys, two good guys. " Nice knowing you," Odd said as he waited for them to attack.

" Make your punches count, go for the stomach not the face, we need to wind them before we knock them down." One charged Xi who high kicked the man in the face knocking him out. The men were shocked at Xi's action. Two attacked Odd who ducked under a punch and punched one in the stomach. While he was leaned over holding his gut Xi kicked the man in the face, and avoided an attack. Xi punch the man in the throat and he fell to the ground with a strange gargling noise. All men charged and Xi and Odd fought the best they could. Ducking, dodging swinging, kicking, and taking punches. One man was growing tired of the fight and pulled out a gun and aimed it at Odd who had his back to him. Xi knocked him out of the way and was shot in the shoulder.

Another gun shot sounded and the attacker fell to the ground dead. The cops had been called and were now swarming the alley. They arrested the men and put the three in an ambulance and treated their wounds. Sissi only had a bruise on her face and Odd had bruised all over his body. Xi didn't go to the hospital, they just wrapped his shoulder in bandages. After a few questions they dropped them off at the school. The three were in Mr. Delmas' office waiting for him to begin.

" Why were you three even off campus?" he shouted at them. They all looked away then explained. "Sissi you can never leave again! Travis you were just helping so I thank you for that, but your suspended for a week, as for you Odd, your expelled from Kadic. I'm calling your parents to take you home."

" What?" Odd asked loudly, standing up quickly. " I was calling the date off, Sissi just never received the message."

" Yeah daddy you can't expel him!" Sissi shouted in his defence.

" I can I am and I will. Now get out of my sight all of you!" Odd glared at him and left after Sissi, slamming the door. He punched a locker as hard as he could, cutting his hand.

" That son of a bitch can't do this!" Odd shouted with a few people looking at him. Jeremie and Aelita heard and turned the corner and saw Odd holding his bleeding hand.

" What happened Odd?" Aelita asked looking at his hand, then at his face.

" I got expelled. I'm leaving tomorrow, never coming back," he answered putting his back to the locker.

" What? Why?" Jeremie asked his very distraught friend. Odd spent five minutes explaining before going to his room and started to pack

The next morning Odd was at the campus gates waiting for his cab to arrive to take him back to the states were his parents lived. Odd was sitting on one of his suit cases with his palms holding his head up. Sissi arrived a second after he did and stood next to him, thinking how to begin.

" Well Odd thanks for helping me. If it was up to me, you'd stay but I can't convince my father to let you."

" I know. Look you need to help them in my place, you know about lyoko now."

" I know I do. I won't let you down." The cab arrived and honked it's horn though Odd knew it was right behind him. He stood up to hug Sissi who skipped that step and kissed him.

" Elizabeth," said Mr. Delmas. Sissi knew what he wanted and left Odd after slipping something in his pocket and whispering something in his ear. Sissi walked past her father without looking at him, or back at Odd.

Mr. Delmas walked over to Odd and said, " Well Mr. Robbia I'm sorry to see you go..."

" Oh bullshit. I know you have nothing nice to say about me. So don't lie and fuck off okay."

" Well then now that we're being honest, good riddance. You were always trouble and I'm honored to see you finally leave. You and your stupid little dog. Farewell Odd." Mr. Delmas walked away and Odd threw his things into the trunk and slid into the taxi with kiwi. As the cab began to pull away Aelita ran out onto the sidewalk. Odd looked out the back window and sadly waved. He saw a tear rolling down Aelita's cheek as she waved back. The car turned a corner and Odd was gone.

The cab driver looked at Odd through the rearview mirror and asked, " You okay kid?"

" Just shut up and drive."

* * *

Xi woke up when he heard a car horn from outside. Looking around his room he saw Odd jr in his bed and almost yelled. His head began to ache again as lost memories came back, him waking up again.

" Your back, it worked !" he shouted at Odd jr waking him up.

" Yeah I am. Not being born is goofy as hell when you wake up again." They dressed quickly and left for the lab. Xi loaded opened the link and a second later Sissi came on the screen.

" Thank you Xi. Good work, Emilie thanks you, Kat's back as well. The others are still gone but now they died by xana. It's sad but everything is normal."

" How's Angela?" he asked hoping he didn't completely crush her.

" Not to good Xi. She feels like shit. She'll get over it though."

" Odd got expelled and things are normal?"

" He got expelled last time as well. This time it happened faster. History is going right, he cheated on me with Aelita who told Jeremie in three days. It's coming back together. Keep it up, and lie low. I think Angela should stay here as well, she's cute and smart, but that's all she is, a pretty face." Xi nodded in agreement and they signed off.


	17. Why are you here?

Spring break was over and the students were coming back to Kadic. Jeremie was going to meet Ulrich at the gates when his bus arrived from the airport. He saw his bus drive by so suspected him to walk around the corner any minute. Instead he got a phone call from Ulrich's cell.

Jeremie answered his phone and asked, " Where are you?"

" My plane got delayed and I missed my bus, I'll be catching the next one tomorrow," Ulrich answered.

" Alright see you then. Bye."

" Bye." They both hung up and Jeremie went back to his room to do the homework he'd been putting off the entire week, which he usually didn't forget to do.

The next day Ulrich stepped off the bus with only a backpack over his shoulder. He made his way down the street and turned the corner toward the school's gates, only to see Yumi walking toward the gates from the other side. She saw him as well and stopped to look at him. Before she could keep moving, she saw a car going to fast, the driver not paying attention. A line of cars were stopped for a red light and the driver didn't have time to stop, so swerved on the side walk, and toward Ulrich.

Before Yumi could shout to warn him, or he could turn around, the car took his legs out and he smashed his back on the car's windshield cracking it. The hit caused him to fly over the top of the car that crashed into another car parked on the curb. Now fifteen feet in the air Ulrich landed chest first on a parked car's roof and rolled off the hood, then to the ground hitting his head on the pavement.

" Ulrich!" Yumi shouted dropping her back and running to him.

Ulrich was still conscious with fresh blood running down his face from the collision with the ground. He was in between two parked cars, in so much pain he couldn't breath.

Yumi kneeled next him and said, " Oh my god Ulrich."

" I, ca..nt breathe." he managed to say from his pain, " I can't move." Ulrich closed his eyes and Yumi felt his pulse, and felt none. Placing her head on his chest she tried to hear a heartbeat, none. Trying to remember what to do from health, she tilted his head back to see if he was breathing, he wasn't. She gave him two rescue breaths and then compressed his chest. His heartbeat came back, then fell again. Going through the cycle again, it came back again and stayed stable, though she wasn't sure for how long.

" SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE! Ulrich hang in there please. Don't die," she begged, crying, letting her tears hit the ground around him.

* * *

Ulrich was rushed into the emergency room the second the ambulance arrived at the hospital. Yumi was with him as they pulled him out on a stretcher. She had to wait in the waiting room as the doctors tried to help Ulrich. Half in hour later Jeremie and Aelita arrived and for another hour they paced around the waiting room just waiting. To all of their surprises Odd walked in. When the doctor came in the room, looking very tired. Jeremie nudged Aelita awake who had fallen asleep waiting. They all stood ready for anything. 

The doctor smiled and said, " He'll live. Mr. Stern is pretty banged up though, he didn't break anything, but he fractured his collar. Most of the damage was internal, but we stopped the bleeding and he's healing rapidly. I've called the school and his parents. He's in room G fifty seven if you wish to visit him." Everybody took their first breath since the doctor walk in.

" Where's that?" Yumi asked.

" End of the hall, turn left, take the next right and follow the numbers." They all left the waiting room and jogged to Ulrich's room were he was in the bed with a cast on his neck. He had a fluid being pumped into him as he lay there sleeping. Yumi sat on next to him and moved his hair out of his eyes, and smiled because how happy she was. She thought she almost lost him.

They sat in his room for an hour before he slowly opened his eyes. Yumi noticed first and he looked at her. " Welcome back," She said.

" Where am I?" He asked trying to lay up put noticing his neck was in a cast. Ulrich let out a moan in pain as he tried to move and hurt his neck.

" Don't move, you fractured your collar bone. You're lucky to be alive," Jeremie said walking over next to him. " How do you fell?" Ulrich didn't say anything, just looked at him in way as if ' is that a serious question?' " Sorry, standard question. We can't stay to long, we have class tomorrow. Do you remember anything?"

" I don't know what country I'm in, is it France?"

Yumi giggled and said, " Yes Ulrich your in France." Aelita's cell rang. Pressing answer she held it up to her ear.

" Hello?"

" Is Ulrich alright?" asked a girl's voice. It wasn't Sissi but Aelita knew who it was.

" Yes Milly he's fine. Just a fractured bone, he'll be back in school in a few weeks."

" Okay thanks Aelita. Bye." She hung up the phone and Aelita his back into her pocket.

" How did she get your number?" Jeremie asked.

" Jeremie she's Milly she knows everything. She's pure evil in cute form."

" Odd, didn't you go home over the break. You were expelled," Ulrich asked looking at his friend.

" Before I left Sissi put a note in my pocket. The note was an address. Her cousin's address. Since then I've still been in town living with Sissi's cousin, cool guy. Apparently Sissi did something for him a year back and now he's repaying his dept to her."

" What did she do to help him?" Yumi asked.

"Something about her father I think, got him out of trouble."

* * *

They stayed for a few more hours, soon leaving Yumi alone with Ulrich. It was a little awkward at first, both of them trying to figure out what to say. 

" Why are you still here?" Ulrich asked her.

" Because, I almost lost you."

" And now you suddenly care. Yumi you haven't said hello to me in months."

" I was still upset. When I ended our relation I felt like you didn't trust me with William." she answered, looking at him, though he couldn't look at her from his cast.

" I trusted you. I just didn't trust William. We'd been dating for a month and yet he was trying to weasel his way in. I just couldn't take his bullshit anymore."

" That's why you fought him. Why didn't you say so?"

" I tried. You're stubborn as hell so if it's not your idea it doesn't matter. You still really haven't answered my first question, why are you here?" he repeated himself.

Yumi looked down for about ten seconds before answering him. She had to think of the best answer. " I thought I hated you. But when I came so close to losing you forever, something happened to me. Suddenly I realized how I really fell about you and that I almost never had the chance to let you know."

" What did you discover about me?" he asked curiously.

" I realized that I really do...really do love you. I love you Ulrich, I can't say it better than that."

" Yumi I remembered something. Before I passed out you were over me crying. You were the last person I saw before I blacked out. I wanted to say something to you, that I've said before, but meant it more than ever at that moment. Yumi I love you." Yumi leaned over him and kissed him. He kissed her back, Yumi forgetting about the cast began to pull him up.

Still kissing, Ulrich mumbled, " Gently." Yumi let him go and he hit back hard enough to make him wince.

" Sorry." she said with smile.

" It's okay." She kissed him again then sat back down, laying her head on her arms next to his pillow, holding his hand.

Yumi left the hospital a few hours later, and every day after school she went to visit him. A few others visited him as well. Three days later Yumi walked in to see Milly, Tamiya and Odd jr in his room talking to him. " Charlie, Milly, Tamiya. Here to see Ulrich are we?"

" They are, they need someone over fourteen to escort them off campus so she volunteered me," Odd said with his legs propped up on a small table that Ulrich's food was usually on.

" That's nice of you," Yumi said sitting next to Ulrich. " So Milly have you been bugging the hell out of him?"

" It's what I'm good at," she said smiling. " Well we should get going. I know you want to be alone."

" See you later."

" Bye Yumi. Bye Ulrich." Ulrich gave an unenthusiastic wave, and when she was gone let out a deep breath.

" I thought she'd never leave. Thank you for coming I'd rather get hit by a car than be in a room with Milly and Tamiya for an hour without being able to move. When Sissi came, I had to pretend to be asleep for an hour."

" I thought she liked Odd?"

" She does, but old habit of hers I guess."

" I guess so. Are you feeling any better?"

" Actually yes I am. I can actually readjust my body without hurting myself."

" Great, did you see your doctor yet?" she asked, hoping he'd be up sooner than predicted.

" Yep, he said I'll be walking more or less in a day, and I'll be out of the cast in two days. Turns out I didn't fracture my collar, hair on the x-ray. I was hurt enough on my back to be in a cast just now not as long. I'll be back in school on Monday."

" That's good, maybe you'll start doing better." said a voice from the door. Ulrich turned his head to see his parents at the door. " Hello son." Mr. Stern stepped into the room followed by the Mrs.

" Hey mom, hey dad. You said you hoped to see me soon." Ulrich said. His mother dashed to his bed and began to kiss his forehead. " Okay knock it off mom." Yumi laughed to herself as Ulrich was mothered.

" I was just so worried about you," She said after she stopped kissing him. " Well. Aren't you going to introduce her." His mother asked looking to Yumi.

" This is Yumi Ishiyama. Yumi these are my parents."

" Oh. This is her huh. He talks about you a lot," She said with a smile, hoping to embarrass her son.

" Mom don't start, because I can't move to fight you."

" I'm just playing. So Yumi what's it your current relation with my son, I'm curious."

" Mom."

" It's okay Ulrich you can tell them. I don't care," Yumi said looking up at his mother.

" She's my girlfriend."

His father smiled and said, " Why didn't you tell us you had a girlfriend?"

" It's a recent thing, we broke up a while ago but got back together after this accident."

" Why didn't you tell us when you were together. Every phone call you'd say, 'nothing much was going on, just school and friends'."

" Because I knew you'd make a big deal out of it."

Ulrich's parents stayed the rest of the time Yumi was there. At about nine p.m. Yumi cell phone rang, her father telling her she had to come home.

" That was my dad, I need to go," Yumi said sadly, usually leaving at ten and not nine.

" Okay see you tomorrow Yumi."

" I'll give you ride." Ulrich's mother offered.

" Okay. Bye Ulrich." She kissed him and her and Mrs. Stern left the room. They left the hospital and got into the car they rented. Yumi told her how to get to her house, and they were on their way.

" So Yumi how long have you known Ulrich?" asked Mrs. Stern wanting to know more about this relationship.

" Since I was in sixth grade. So for about three years."

" Your older than him."

" Only a year. Besides I'm not the only one interested in him."

" You have competition?" She asked with a smile. " How many other girls?"

" Well, only four that I'm sure of."

" Five girls, and he picked you." Yumi had never thought of it that way. It was true though, he had plenty of options and yet he had chosen her. He was with Emilie for a week but nothing happened. In fact Ulrich almost kissed Yumi during that week. That was Yumi's first outbreak about Ulrich hanging out with Emilie, though it was caused by Sissi, she was still angry and jealous that another girl was with Ulrich.

" I guess he did," she said not looking at her. " Which is funny because I wasn't trying as hard as the others."

" What do you mean?"

" A girl at the academy named Sissi is so obsessed she's blackmailed him a few times to date her. The others kind of stalk him from a distance. All I did was hang out with him."

" That's probably why he picked you. Men don't like women who are clingy, and/or annoying. You're the only one who wasn't either."

" That's my house." Mrs. Stern stopped the car and Yumi said goodbye and walked into her home. Her mother was in kitchen when she walked in.

" Yumi?" her mom asked, seeing if she was home.

" Yeah mom," Yumi said walking into the kitchen.

" How's Ulrich?" she asked while washing the dishes.

" He's better. There was on mistake in his x-ray so his collar isn't fractured. He'll be back in school next week."

" That's nice to hear. Do you want anything to eat?"

" I ate when I was there. His parents are there to."

" Really, what are they like?" She asked, rinsing a dish and handing to Yumi who was drying now.

" They're nice. I loved watching Ulrich get mothered, it was so funny his reaction."

" What did she do, start kissing him like this?" She started to kiss her cheeks as Yumi struggled to pry herself free.

" Yes mom just like that. Let me go," Yumi managed to stop the kissing but only walked into her mothers tickle trap. She was extremely ticklish so was laughing hard, and begging for her to stop.

" You win mom, stop it!" Her mother let her go and Yumi fell to the floor.

" Be careful Yumi, I'll do that every chance I get."

" Great, I'll sleep better at night knowing that." She picked herself up and walked out of the room.

" Goodnight Yumi." Yumi walked up the stairs and down the hall to her room. She closed her door and locked it, moving into her bathroom that was connected to her room. Checking to see if that door was locked, she took her shirt off and began to look at herself in the mirror. Usually she'd just look at her hair, but recently she's been looking at her body. Thin, slender, but not underweight. Healthy as her mother would put it.

A few months ago she'd only look, but within the last two weeks, she'd been experimenting with touching herself, finding the more sensitive areas on her body. She'd been keeping the experiment above her waist but was tempted to explore. Today she gave into her temptation and slowly reached down and began to rub her upper pelvis. She felt a tingle go down her spin and her heart beat begin to quicken. Going even lower she began to rub the lower pelvis. She made the plunge and stopped immediately, not sure if it felt good or just weird. Pulling her hand back up she finished getting ready for bed and went to sleep early.


	18. Look what I found

Monday came and Ulrich's parents dropped him off at the school. His neck still hurt some but he was walking fine. He hadn't told his friends when he'd arrive, wanting to surprise them. It was still early when he arrived so he figured they'd be at the machines or in the cafeteria. After a quick glance at the machines he saw Jeremie getting his coffee, waiting for the others. Ulrich walked past Jeremie who wasn't looking as he began to put change into the machine. When his cup filled he tasted his coffee that didn't taste that good.

" The coffee today sucks," said Ulrich leaning against the machine. Jeremie spun around in a split second.

" Ulrich! When did you get here?"

" A few minutes ago. Waiting for the others?"

" Yeah. There's Aelita." Aelita saw Ulrich and began to run over." Your back," Aelita said, catching her breath from her twenty feet marathon. " How do you feel?" Aelita asked him.

" Tired from being in a bed for a week, but not bad. Sitting should be weird though, I have a pretty big bruise on my back from when it hit the windshield." He lifted his shirt over his head so his friends could see a bruise the size of a dinner plate on his left shoulder blade.

" Ulrich!" someone shouted from behind them. Yumi was running toward them. She wrapped her arms around Ulrich who shouted from how hard she squeezed him.

" Whoa, little tender here!" he shouted.

" Sorry," she said letting him go.

Xi and Odd jr were going toward the machine to get their coffee when Xi saw his father. " He got out sooner than I thought he would." Xi said to Odd.

" Hair on the x-ray, he didn't break or fracture anything."

" How though. The car that hit him was going forty, who survives that. Not like I'm complaining but damn, not even a broken bone. That's impossible. I'll look into this."

" Your paranoid, just be happy your gonna be born."

The next week Xi watched his father like a hawk, trying to find anything wrong with him. Ulrich seemed to be himself though something didn't feel right about a guy who lived through what he had with almost no injury. During the second week of observations, Xi gave up and thought the way everyone else did about Ulrich. That he was just Ulrich.

Three weeks since Ulrich was hit, Xi's suspicions were put away. Figuring it was a little change because of a near death experience. However, Xi still questioned how anyone could have lived that hit. None the less he shrugged it off and went back to his school work, and waiting for xana to rear up his head. He was almost four months past due and knowing the future was no longer a luxury they had. During those weeks Xi and Odd jr had been training in lyoko every chance they had, discovering new powers. They hadn't been in lyoko for months and didn't want to forget what to do.

* * *

Xi and Odd jr took the elevator down to the lab almost a month after Ulrich was hospitalized. When the doors opened they saw Aelita checking the system on Jeremie's request.

" Anything unusual?" Odd jr asked, sitting on the arm rest of the chair.

" Nothing, everything is normal again. I don't understand it, you said xana should of showed months ago. Why isn't he here?" At that moment the scan of lyoko picked something up.

Xi leaned over and read the information. " Seems he's been here and we didn't know it. Can you isolate it?" Aelita nodded and typed in a few buttons. The scan zoomed in on the ice sector, pin pointing the target. " What is it."

" Unregistered. It's new then. Could you and Odd go check it out." Xi answered with a nod and him and Odd jr took the elevator.

" Think it's him?" Odd jr asked as the elevator descended.

" We'll find out soon enough."

The doors opened and the boys took their scanners and moments later landed in a large hollow cave in the ice sector. The cave was circular with a diameter of fifty yards. The roof formed a perfect dome that at it's highest point was one hundred feet high. Dead in the center was a tower and next to the tower was a bright yellow sphere. They approached it examining it carefully.

" It's a guardian. Aelita I can't see what's inside?" Xi asked, touching it with one of his swords.

" Neither can I and because we don't know what's in it we don't know what to fool it with." Aelita watched as red bleeps suddenly filled her screen all around them. " Get out of there, it's a trap!" The monsters fired as Xi swore to himself, ducked down and ran for the tower. A second later Odd jr and Xi were in the tower, they were safe but not sure for how long.

" How many of them are there?" Odd jr asked.

" There still showing up. Give it a few seconds." They waited patiently for another twenty seconds before Aelita's voice said, " Not good. Fifty-six."

" Aelita we can't handle that many. Materialize us."

" No," she answered surprising both of them.

" What," they both said at the same time.

" What ever is in that guardian, xana doesn't want us to get. We need to get that if we want to know what he's planning. I'll call Odd and tell him to help."

"My father's expelled," Odd jr said, wondering why she said that.

"He's never left town, Sissi handed him an address he could stay at, aka, she has a cool cousin."

" What's the formation," Xi asked

" We have ten tarantulas, fifteen hornets, five creepers, ten craps, ten roachers, five megatanks, and a polymorph that looks like Ulrich. All ten roachers are ten feet away from your door, along with the polymorph."

" All I need to know." Xi ran toward the door and when he hit the wall and began to phase through he shouted, " freeze frame!" Time stood still as Xi charged out of the tower both swords held high. He cut the not moving roachers, then slashed at the polymorph's neck. Time caught up and they all exploded at the same time. The monsters began to fire at Xi as he backpedaled to the door blocking lasers, one hit him square in the chest causing him to tumble into the tower. Odd jr looked at him in shock, surprised to see him again.

" I love that power. How many life points do I have left?"

" Because you used freeze frame you lost sixty percent of your current life points plus you were hit, your down to twenty. Odd be a dear and heal him."

Odd pulled a pistil from his belt, aimed it at Xi and said, " Life shot." Xi's life points went up to one hundred as Odd jr threw the gun into the pit of the tower. Life shot completely empties all eight bullets of a pistil, so it was useless now.

" I'll need a ranged weapon out there," Xi said rising to his feet fully healed.

" Here you go," Odd jr answered handing Xi a pistil from his belt. " How we doing this?"

" Head on." Xi charged out of the tower and deflected the lasers that were aimed for him. Odd jr was right behind him and immediately began to fire at Tarantulas on the high ledge that circled the entire room. Five hornets charged Odd jr who began to shoot at them, then stopped when he saw a tank about to shot. With no time to think he dove out of the way and the laser hit and destroyed all five of the hornets.

Xi vanished with camouflage and destroyed a creeper hiding behind a rock next to the ledge. He jumped up and kicked off the ledge, slashing a tarantula as he landed. It alerted the two others on the ledge and they began to fire at him at the same time. Rolling under the lasers he stabbed one while still on his back. Rising to his feet he was hit in the back and knocked off the edge, landing on a very surprised crab. Stabbing the crab he jumped off it and back onto the ledge, shooting the tarantula, and clearing the ledge.

Odd jr had made short work of the ground level tarantulas and fired his last pistil at the last creeper, destroying it. A tank rolled behind him and Odd readied the rifle then fired as the tank fired. He was hit by the tank and knocked back, a moment later the tank exploded. The entire time Odd had been getting hit more times than he'd been killing and his life points were critically low. A squad of hornets fly by, Odd began to fire and took out three before he was devirtualized.

" Odd!" Xi shouted as his friend began to vanish.

The last tank rolled behind Xi who had dropped his guard.

A voice shouted, " Laser Arrow!" and the tank exploded before it fired. Xi turned around to see Odd senior standing behind him. " You started without me," he complained.

Xi aimed the gun at the last hornet and destroyed it with his last shot. " It couldn't wait." A crap fired at Xi who somersaulted out of the way and jumped behind a rock for cover. " Any idea's?"

" One. Can you freeze frame both of us?"

" I got ya, grab my arm, wait for my cue...Freeze frame!" Time froze and they dashed out from behind the rock and charged the monsters. Odd kicked off the wall and landed on the ledge, running toward the monsters both arms extended firing arrows. Xi played stepping stones with the last three craps, jumping to one then the other, stabbing them in the head as Odd fired at the last creepers. When time caught up, Odd hadn't realized he was being shot at and took three shots to the chest, four to the stomach, and had devirtualized before he hit the ground.

The battle was over and Xi stood standing. " All clear Xi, good work. The monsters were connected to the guardian, so it should be destroyable now," said Aelita. Xi walked over to the sphere and cocked his sword back, then swung hard. The sphere shattered as a figure dropped to the ground not moving. Laying on the ground where the guardian was, was Ulrich.

Ulrich lay in the middle of the lab unconscious as his everyone tried to figure out why he was in there. Jeremie had showed up and was surprised to see Xi and Odd jr. Aelita explained who they really were and that xana was finally back. They checked Ulrich's condition, cold, limp, and barley breathing.

" He's in some kind of coma," Jeremie finally said. " Whatever xana did to him, it was killing him slowly."

" Don't you mean quick Einstein, I mean he's been in there for a little more than an hour," Odd said, walking over to Ulrich.

" No. He's cold so he's been in there for a while, maybe weeks."

" That's not right, Ulrich left for Yumi's two hours ago," Aelita said.

Xi had heard all the clues, all the hints, then he came up with the answer. " Shit! The one who left your room was a polymorph. My moms alone with it, I need to help her!" Xi ran for the elevator and hit the button.


	19. Get ready for anything

Some time earlier...

Ulrich was on Yumi's porch knocking on her door. Yumi had invited him over, though he still wasn't sure why exactly she had. Yumi answered the door after a moment and Ulrich walked in and Yumi shut the door.

" You wanted to see me?" he asked turning to looking at her, placing his hands in his pockets. He noticed the house was quiet so asked, " Where's your family?"

" Out of town with my brother. Something for school," she answered, putting a few strands of hair behind her ear.

" They trusted you alone?"

" Stupid them. Want to go to room?" she asked nervously. Ulrich noticed her nervousness, because she was never nervous. He nodded and she grabbed his hand and led him down the hall and up the stairs. She began to kiss him halfway down the upstairs hallway, opening her door with one hand while not separating her lips from his. Backpedaling into her room she fell onto her bed and Ulrich softly rested on top of her.

Ulrich continued to kiss her as she did him. It was a basic make out session, small kisses, followed by a longer one with tongue every now and then. He noticed she was trying harder today. Yumi held him closer and kissed him deeper. The biggest shock was when Yumi grabbed Ulrich's hand and placed it on her breast. It surprised Ulrich so much he stopped kissing her.

" Yumi what are you doing?" he asked moving his hand away.

Yumi smiled and took her shirt off, throwing it to the side of her bed. Ulrich knew what she was doing now. " Are you sure?" he asked concerned, and yet hoped she'd say yes, he is a guy after all. To answer his question she grabbed his already unbuttoned shirt and slid it down to his wrist. Ulrich slid his hands through the sleeves and threw it aside as Yumi did hers.

" I'm sure." Ulrich took off his undershirt and tossed it into the small pile of clothes only getting bigger. In the next minute both their pants joined the other clothes on the ground. Yumi now on top of Ulrich, removed her bra and leaned down and began to kiss him again. Ulrich grabbed the sides of her waist and tipped her next to him, so neither were on top. Yumi and Ulrich pulled themselves under her blanket as they continued to kiss, while Ulrich slid her panties down her legs. Pulling his boxers down Ulrich rolled over, positioning himself over Yumi. Yumi held her breath as Ulrich made the first thrust, making her wince.

Ulrich pulled out and Yumi said, " Don't stop." He kissed her and they continued.

* * *

Two hours later they were still on her bed, Yumi with one arm wrapped around his shirtless chest. She was wearing his shirt that she buttoned up, but hadn't put her bra back on. They were sleeping now, only wearing their underwear. The door bell rang and Yumi twitched shifted from the noise but didn't wake. It rang three more times, then someone began to pound on the door. Yumi's eyes quickly opened, and she sat up and listened for what woke her.

Hearing the door she put on her pants and her bra and shouted, " One second!" Ulrich woke up and saw Yumi dressing.

Ulrich looked at her clock and said, " Shit, I need to get back before someone notices I'm gone." Ulrich grabbed his pants as Yumi made her way down stairs. The knock continued louder and faster, whoever it was desperately wanted someone to answer.

Yumi swung her door open and shouted, " What!"

" Yumi you have to leave!" Xi shouted at her.

" Travis. What are you doing here?"

" I don't have time to explain, we need to get to the lab now!" He tried to grab her arm but she slapped his hand and stepped back.

" What are you talking about?" Ulrich walked into Xi's view who pulled out a gun from the back of his waist.

" Don't come any closer!" He shouted, pointing the gun at Ulrich steady.

"Whoa put the gun down!" Ulrich shouted stopping. Yumi looked between Xi and Ulrich a few times, trying to find her voice.

" Travis, please put the gun down. What did Ulrich do?" Yumi asked taking a step away from him.

" That's not Ulrich. It's a polymorph, xana took the real one and hid him in lyoko."

" That's ridiculous," she said, thinking it impossible for him to be a polymorph.

" You found him just in time it seems," said Ulrich taking a few steps toward Yumi.

" Ulrich," she looked at him carefully, " No it can't be. You can't be a polymorph."

" I'm not. I'm xana. Not a servant of xana or a minion, I am him, the one you have been fighting against for so long." Yumi's heart sank. She felt violated, but yet it seemed so much like Ulrich it was impossible to see a difference.

" Yumi run to factory I'll hold him as long as I can," Yumi stood there, trying to clear her mind. " Yumi! Run!" Yumi's senses kicked back in as she ran out her door.

" Xi you know who I am, a gun won't hurt me." Xi fired and Xana hit the floor and began to twitch and shake. The shock lasted twenty seconds before Xana stood up again.

" Electro magnetic pulse releasing ammunition, clever." Xi fired three more times and missed Xana all shots. Xana tipped over the plant table in the hallway and pushed it toward Xi who dove out of the way. The table clipped Xi's leg and he fell, the gun sliding across the floor and into the living room. Rising and running toward the gun, Xi was tackled by xana and shoved into the wall.

Xana sent a fist into Xi's stomach, as Xi let out a grunt of pain. Xi ducked under a punch to his face and tackled xana, slamming onto the coffee table. Placing the soles of his feet on Xi's chest, Xana launched Xi off himself so hard Xi smashed through the thin wall and into the kitchen. Xi broke through the wall and crashed onto a chair, as xana jumped through the hole in the wall after him. Picking up the chair leg and standing Xi swung it at xana, hitting him in the side of head. He swung again and xana held up his arm and the leg broke in half.

Xana punched Xi in the face, Xi toppling back against the counter. Grabbing a knife from off the counter Xi quickly spun around and sent it into the side xana's neck, then kicked him back. Xana made a few disgusting gargling noises and fell, smashing the kitchen table into pieces. Xi spat out blood and walked out of the kitchen, taking the shortcut through the new door. Leaning down to pick up the gun he turned around and saw that xana was gone. Before he could react xana stabbed Xi in the shoulder with the same knife and let Xi fall with the knife still in him.

Xi pulled the knife out as xana slowly walked over to him. Knowing this was a losing fight Xi rose to his feet holding his wound and ran for the stairs. When he reached the hallway entrance to the kitchen Xi ducked down as a large knife almost impaled him. Moving faster Xi ran up the stairs with xana shortly following. Xana caught up and grabbed the back of Xi's shirt and slammed his body against the wall, knocking off several pictures. Xana held on to him and threw him through a door, breaking into Yumi's room.

Xi pulled the gun out to shoot but xana grabbed his arm and pulled it away. He grabbed the gun and kicked Xi who tried to not to fall but smashed through the window and fell. Xi landed in a tree and fell, trying to catch himself. He hit his chest, then his back, his head and everywhere in between before he hit the ground. Xana stepped to the window and looked down at Xi who was in the grass aching. Placing the gun in the back of his waist and jumped out the window landing perfectly on the grass.

Xana walked past Xi and said, " And now to kill them all."

* * *

Yumi hit the button and the elevator began to descend to the lab. The second the door opened she dashed in as everyone turned around to look at her. " YUMI!" Odd, Aelita, and Jeremie shouted at the same time in relief. They all hugged her to make sure she was real.

" Wait she could be a polymorph." Odd jr said taking a step back.

" Who the hell are you?" she asked Odd jr.

" Never mind, it's her."

" Wait, your that Charlie kid? What the hell is going on. Travis was just at my door pointing a gun at xana...Oh my god, Ulrich." She saw Ulrich on the floor and ran over to him. " What's wrong with him?"

" He's in some kind of coma. We have no idea what xana did to him, or how long he was in lyoko for. But he doesn't have scars from the hit so he was put in there before the accident. I'm beginning to think he never missed the bus," Jeremie answered. " Where's Xi?"

" Who's Xi?"

" Travis. Is he fighting it?" The elevator started to go up and Odd jr's phone rang. he answered it and Xi began to shout.

" Xana's coming to kill everyone, get ready or get out!" He was disconnected and the elevator docked at the surface.

" Don't think Xi's fighting it anymore," Odd jr said listening to the elevator come down. " Get ready for anything."


	20. fighting a losing battle

The elevator opened and the Ulrich clone was inside leaning against the rail with a smile.

" Howdy. So in case Xi hasn't alerted you, I'm going to kill all of you, even the second generation." He walked in and everyone took a step back. " Who wants to die first? No one, alright I'll start the show." Xana ran at Odd senior and punched him in the stomach, sending him to his knees. He picked him up by his hair and sent three more punches to his gut and then to his face letting him drop.

Odd jr jumped on his back as xana tried to fling him off. Yumi charged him and xana grabbed his shirt and threw Odd jr off, colliding with Yumi. Jeremie stood there shaking as xana walked over to him. He held his fists up ready and xana laughed at his weak attempted to put up a fight. Before Jeremie could even blink xana punch him in the face, breaking his nose and glasses, sending him to the floor with a loud thump. Aelita attempted to punch him from behind but xana spun around and back handed her. Yumi hit him in the face as Odd jr tackled him, a second later being launched over xana hitting the wall upside down and landing front first. Yumi tried to roundhouse him but her leg was caught and xana spun her around, let her go and send her against the wall.

The elevator began to move up and Xana grabbed the cable, ripped it out and moved out of the way as it fell to the bottom, getting stuck at the scanner room. Odd jr tried to hit him but xana ducked down and upper cutted him sending him to the ground again. Yumi ran at him and xana grabbed her shoulders, rolled back, and flung her against the wall in the elevator shaft and watched her fall.

Odd jr stood up again and xana looked at him and said, " How many time do I have to send you down before you stay down." Odd jr swung and missed as xana put him in a head lock, and snapped his neck. He released Odd who fell to the ground in a lifeless heap, his eyes still open, and a small stream of blood dripping from his mouth. " That should do it."

Yumi fell down the shaft trying to grab anything before hitting the roof of the elevator. Seeing a cable she grabbed it and slid down, cutting her hands from rope burn. She stopped falling and held on to the cable as she looked to see the roof was only about ten feet down. The cable snapped and she fell on the elevator back first and let out a screak of pain from the awkward landing. Trying to pull herself up she discovered she had stabbed her lower back on a three inch metal rod, and could fell blood seeping out through the wound.

Screaming in pain, Yumi pulled herself and opened the elevator roof hatch and tried to softly drop, but fell in hard. The elevator was docked at the scanner room as she dragged herself into the scanner room as everything became blurry and she became weak, soon took weak to move.

" This is what it's like to die." she said laying there not moving, with a trail of blood after her. She closed her eyes and waited, and opened them when the scanner began to turn on.

* * *

Aelita hit him in the back, but xana grabbed her by her throat and pinned her against the wall. Odd rammed him making him drop Aelita who began to cough, trying to breathe again. Xana grabbed Odd and held him against the wall. Punching him in the face three times and began to let him fall forward, then grabbed the back of his head and slammed his forehead against the wall, then let him fall. Slowly walking to Ulrich he kicked Aelita in her face, knocking her out. " Seems your last." Angela entered the room from the shaft trying to sneak up on xana. She charged and swung, but xana heard her coming and jumped, spun, then kicked her sending her to the ground hard. Taking out the gun from his waist, xana walked to Ulrich and stood over him.

Xana smiled and said, " I think it's only fair you die the same way in two time lines, shot by yourself. I was so close to being you." Xana aimed the gun at Ulrich's head, but before he could fire, Xi kicked it out of his hand and caught it aiming it at xana. " Your finally here, found the alternate route have you, to late it seems."

Xi was going to fire but his hand began to vanish and the gun fell through is hand. " It seems your mothers is dying, I wonder how she lived the fall." Xana walked over and kicked the gun down the shaft.

Xi's entire right arm was gone and his left was beginning to follow. " What's happening to me?" he asked watching himself vanish.

" Your mother is dying, if she dies, you don't get to be born. Right now your not dying, the time line is making sure you cease to exist." As suddenly as it happened his arms came back and xana stood in shock. He dropped his guard and Xi punched him, sending him to the ground. Xi looked around and saw Odd jr on the ground, dead.

" You son of a bitch," he said standing over him and kicked him in the ribs. Xana grabbed his leg and sent him to the ground. Rising to his feet xana kicked Xi in the ribs and began to shout at him.

" You little bastard! I was so close, my plan was almost complete!" He said kicking him.

" What do you mean almost, you're killing us pretty quick," Xi shot back, fairly sure his plan was their demise.

" Oh yeah sure, all the supercomputer wants is death and destruction. Do you have any idea why your father is so weak?" He asked Xi, stopping to ask, then continued to kick him. " I've been draining him of his memories, his emotions, his life. I was slowly becoming him. Not just a copy or a clone, quite literally him. I could breathe, I could smell, I could feel pain, and love." Xi couldn't believe what he was hearing. " When I was free, I wanted the world. After a short time, I realized how beautiful the real world is. I may be a computer program but I longed to join it at that moment, as a human. So I waited for the right chance to take your father."

" Why my father," Xi coughed, spitting out blood.

" He was the easiest. No one really knows much about him, so no one would know when he wasn't quite himself. Your father also was the quickest way to feel all the emotions of a human. Hate, anger, love, happiness, sadness, and all that other shit. Though I didn't expect to feel pain so early with the car, but it made me feel love much faster than I thought. I had his memories and emotions just not his full physical being. Which is good because I'd be dead if I did, no one could have lived that.

" I was going to let you all live and stop this war. Jeremie would relax and eventually shut down the computer and any trace of your father. I'd be with Yumi and start my life as a human, who lives and would one day die. It may seem strange, I sacrificed immortality to live, but if you live your not immortal. Mortality is only a curse if you treat as one, and I treat is as a excuse to live life to the fullest. You could die at any moment so make the most of it. Now, I'll kill you quick."

Xana lifted his foot to stomp on Xi's back but was shot from behind. Xi looked up and saw Keiko standing at the entrance of the elevator shaft, holding the gun steady.

" A family reunion. Where's the little brother?" Keiko shot xana twice and helped Xi up. Xana rose to his feet and quickly hid behind the computer as Keiko shots missed him. Grabbing the unconscious Angela, xana held her above the entrance of the shaft by her wrist.

" Drop the gun or... well you know the rest." Xi didn't know why Angela was here, but made a gesture to Keiko who slightly nodded. Keiko fired as Xi ran for Angela. The shot hit xana in the chest as he toppled forward, making him drop Angela. Sliding on the ground Xi grabbed Angela's hand as she dangled in the shaft. Xana quickly rose and Keiko pulled the trigger only to hear an empty click. He stomped on Xi's arm, breaking his elbow and making him drop her.

* * *

_Minutes earlier_...

Yumi wasn't wearing a shirt as Aelita Robbia wrapped a bandage around her lower back, to stop the bleeding, she needed stitches but this would have to do for now.

" Your lucky it didn't hit anything vital." Aelita said when she finished the bandage. She took off her over shirt and gave it to Yumi. " You need to stay warm." Yumi couldn't believe who had just saved her. A few minutes ago she had stepped out of the scanner and immediately began to treat her wounds. A moment after she came out the scanner started again, letting off Angela, then Keiko.

" Is my mother going to be alright?" someone Yumi couldn't see asked.

" I need to stop the bleeding but she'll live. Keiko get up there and help them now." Keiko nodded and jumped onto the roof and began to climb up the ladder on the side of the shaft.

" Who are you?" Yumi asked, things still a little blurry but getting better.

" Aelita. The woman who just left earlier was Keiko." She focused her vision and looked at Aelita.

" Your older," she asked, recognizing the person but not her age.

" Well I am forty four. We came from the future to help. The woman who just left was your daughter from the future. You've already met Travis Grey, but his real name is Xi, he's your son. Angela is my daughter, and Charlie, is really Odd jr, Odd's son. Angela give me a hand..Angela?" she wasn't in the room.

" Xi is my son? That explains why he freaked out when I tried to kiss him. Who's his father?"

" Guess," Aelita said, hoping she'd get it right.

" Ulrich?" Aelita smiled then nodded.

A few minutes later they heard something hit the elevator hard. " What was that?" Aelita walked over and saw an arm dangling from the hatch, as blood began to stream into the elevator. Slowly walking in the elevator she touched the arm as it swayed back and forth lifelessly. She saw the top of someone's head and screamed when she saw the head had pink hair. She fell back to the ground and watched as Angela's bloody body fell to the elevator floor. Her clothes were soaked in her blood. She had hit the elevator roof so hard, it made a large indent.

" ANGELA!" Aelita shouted, unable to look away from her daughters mangled body. Her left arm was dislocated at the shoulder, hanging in a goofy way around her back. Several broken bones had broken the skin. There was so much blood, Aelita had never seen so much blood in her life. She was crying the most she ever had in her life, still unable to look away. Emilie came from behind her and grabbed her head, holing it against her chest.

" She's gone, Aelita. She's gone."

" No. No!"

" Calm down. Just don't look.," she said, her voice cracking as she began to tear.

" Angela," Aelita mumbled. " He killed her."

" I know. Just go in the scanner room and shut the door, I'm going up." Emilie held her as walked her out of the room. She lay her next to Yumi and closed the elevator door and began to climb up.

* * *

" ANGELA!" Xi shouted as he watched her fall into the shaft. A few seconds later, he heard the impact.

" Oops," Xana said with a smile. " She was a distraction anyway. Better off dead."

" You motherfucker!" Xi shouted and tried to hit him.

Xana stepped out of the way and pushed Xi toward Keiko. " I did just fuck Yumi, and with Yumi being your mother technically saying I am a motherfucker, so no offence taken okay." Keiko grabbed Xi and pulled him away from xana who walked over toward them.

" How should I kill you two. Slowly, quickly, painfully, so many options. Could you pick for me." Keiko quickly kicked him in the side of his head sending him to the ground. " Quick it is." He tripped Keiko and punched her in the face while she was down. She punched him back, and he punched her. They were trading punch for punch, but she was wearing out fast. Keiko took a roundhouse to the head and went the ground.

" Any last words?" Xana asked politely. Xi wanted to say something smart to piss him off, but he didn't. A voice was speaking to him, giving him instructions, that Xi followed.

" I'll make you a deal," Xi began. " Let my friends live and you can have me."

" Interesting proposition. I was just going to kill you, now I have a better idea. I'll become you instead of your father. Then travel back in time to prevent this little battle all the while they have no clue I'm you. My plan has hope again."

" Just don't hurt them," Xi said.

" I'll be you, it's not in your nature so it won't be in mine." Xana grabbed Xi's shirt and kicked open the alternate route to the scanners. " Why didn't they just take this, much simpler."

" Don't move!" Shouted a voice from above them. Xana looked up and at Emilie Leduc standing on the rafters with a gun pointed. " I'll shot." she said, shaking not being able to hold the gun straight.

" If you know who I am just fire you know I can't negotiate." Emilie pulled the trigger and xana laughed as the bullet clearly missed him. " Your aim sucks." Emilie fired again and hit him center chest. He wobbled back a few steps, then stood straight again. " I'm not human you stupid child. Regular ammunition has no effect on me."

" This kind does," said another voice, followed by a gun shot. Xana was hit in the back and dropped Xi down the hatch. His body twitching for a few seconds, Emilie Leduc stood at the elevator shaft gun ready, not shaking unlike her younger self. Unhumanly fast xana grabbed the empty gun and through it at the younger Emilie in the rafters hitting her square in the forehead. Emilie fell hard, her gun as well. The older Emilie fired, but missed as xana dove across the room and slid, catching the gun. Before either Emilie could do anything xana aimed the gun at the younger Emilie's chest, and fired.

Emilie without waking up, never knowing what had happened. The other Emilie fell to the ground in a lifeless heap. Xana fired and shot Keiko as well before climbing down the shaft. Keiko lay there, holding her stomach as blood began to spill onto the floor. Dragging herself across the floor, before she had no energy left, she closed her eyes and died.

Xi fell down the hatch half way before grabbing the ladder on the side of the wall. He held on and looked down seeing he was only about twenty feet from the bottom. Looking up he only saw a heel drive into his face making him fall the rest of the way down. Landing on his back hard, xana dropped next to him. Aelita looked up from Yumi who was still trying to breathe without pain.

" Ulrich is he gone?" she asked standing up and walking toward him.

" Mrs. Robbia no!" She didn't hear him before xana aimed and fired, shooting her in the head. Aelita fell to the ground, not moving, not breathing. " You bastard!"

" Shut up, don't forget I'm going in the past after this. Killing them here will do nothing in the past, so don't fret," xana said as reinsuring as he could. Xana grabbed Xi by his shirt collar and threw him into an open scanner, that closed a second later.

"I'll need someone to keep watch for me." xana said as he cloned himself twice. " Alright you go upstairs, you watch her. Be carful though, she's feisty in or out of bed." The last one stepped into a scanner as another began to climb back up.

The one who stayed in the room knelt next to Yumi and said, " Well dear not quite the happy ending you wanted huh."

" What did you do to Ulrich you bastard?" she asked, breathing deep.

" I took his memories, his thoughts, basically his complete mental process. That's why you had no I idea it wasn't him. I knew how to act like him, how to act around others you especially."

" Are you going to kill me?" she asked.

" No. I'm going to do to your son what I did to Ulrich. Then I'll go back in time and make this never happen all the while of being Xi. You'll still have Ulrich, and I'll have a body. We're all happy. Then we can go to your bedroom and have that wonderful moment all over again." he answered, stroking her face with his hand.

" Don't touch me."

" Little late to say that. I've touch you in more ways than anyone has. You know you liked it, Ulrich or not," said xana who began to lean closer to her. Yumi placed her hands on his shoulders, trying to push him back. She was too weak and xana kissed her. " You don't even have to the strength to fight me, don't bother."

" Don't touch me," she said again even louder, though not much louder. Xana didn't listen. He continued to kiss her, then stopped to look at her. Yumi was to weak to even show she didn't want it or like it. " Get away from me."

" There is so much I could do to you right now. I won't, I'll get it later." Xana stood up and leaned against the scanner, watching her with a smile.

Xana's clone pulled himself into the lab from below and checked the area. He saw Emilie dead corpse, along with Odd jr's. Aelita was were she need to be as well as Jeremie, but Odd wasn't there. " Come out , come out, where ever you are." Xana sang looking around the room, then up in the rafters. Noticing the crawlspace's door was on the ground Xana climbed up the ladder and looked into it. Odd kicked him in the face, but xana's head didn't even move. He grabbed Odd's foot and dragged him out, throwing him to ground. Xana jumped down, landing on Odd's stomach, knocking him unconscious again. " Just stay down this time." Xana sat on the chair and began the virtualization program.


	21. Game over

Xi virtualized above the ground and landed on his feet. Ulrich's character landed next to him, and Xi reached for his swords, which were gone. His entire outfit was gone. He was wearing what he did before he was scanned. Xana however was in Ulrich's costume, still playing his role.

" I had all your powers stripped before you were connected to the system. You have all your human abilities in lyoko now, no superpowers, no weapons, no hope. And now we wait." Xana said with one hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

" Wait for what?" Xi asked, standing ready for anything.

" That." Xi turned around and was wrapped by the tentacles of the scyphozoa. He was lifted into the air as his eyes turned red and his memory began to drain. Xana stood watching with a smile. In a few minutes his plan would be underway. Xi struggled to free himself before his memory began to be drained.

" Anytime time now." Then to his surprise the scyphozoa dropped Xi on the ground who turned to look at xana with a smile. " What is wrong?" Xana shouted before the scyphozoa exploded. Xana knew something left Xi, he felt the upload, but it wasn't his information. Then he heard a voice.

" Hello xana," said the voice very politely. Xana did a three sixty scan of his area looking for the source of the voice.

" Who said that," xana asked, standing ready.

" You know who it is. Think about it, hear my voice." Xana focused and realized who it was.

" Where are you old man, come out Francis."

" I'm not hiding. I'm in you."

" What?" Xana asked, not thinking that possible.

" Oh yes. I've been waiting for this day for far to long. I was in Xi. Awhile back I imprinted myself onto Xi. You just uploaded me into your central server, giving me complete control of you and whatever you control." Xi looked behind him as a tower changed from red to white. He had been to told what white meant, Franz Hopper. " Which includes lyoko. You fell right into my trap. Well played Xi."

" You old fool, I split my data. I still have control," he answered, before punching himself in the face. " How did you.." he punched himself again.

" Game over xana." At that moment every tower in lyoko lit white and Franz Hopper took complete control. " If any part of your data is in lyoko, it is attached to every part of you. I have lyoko, thus I have you." Xana didn't say anything, he couldn't. Xi watched as xana body began to mold again. When it finished, standing there was a man. He was wearing dark glasses and had a beard and mustache that circled his mouth. He was short and not fat but plump. He stood with great posture with a astute look about every aspect of him. Standing ten feet away from Xi was Franz Hopper.

" Thank you Xi."

Xi stood up finally and walked over to him. " Did that just actually work?" Franz nodded with a smile. " Can you come back now?" He asked looking at him. Franz nodded with a smile.

" I have enough of my information to materialize myself. See you in a few." Xi was about to ask what he meant before he materialized. Opening his eyes he stepped out of the scanner. The clone was on the ground, out cold. Franz had shut them down. Yumi looked at Xi as he stepped out.

" Is it you?" she asked, thinking it could be xana. Xi nodded and turned around as another scanner turned on. A minute later Franz Hopper stepped out. At first he was tired. The light was bright to him, his muscles were weak. Franz took a deep breathe, breathing for the first time in forty years.

" Put him in the scanner, we're ending this now," Franz said pointing at the clone. Xi threw the clone into the scanner, then the one from upstairs. Next Franz stepped back in and told Xi to try to wake Jeremie. It took a moment but Xi shook Jeremie awake and he began to separate xana's information and put it into a file. They put Ulrich in the scanner and uploaded into him what xana took away. He remembered everything xana did as him. Xana's memories were added and Ulrich couldn't stop looking at Yumi for obvious reasons.

* * *

It was the moment of truth. Jeremie was sitting in the chair with Franz Hopper sitting directly behind him. Yumi was being held up by Ulrich, with Odd and Aelita next the armrests. Jeremie had selected a file from the computer. The file was titled, ' xana,' and he held his finger over the delete button. They all had dreamed of this moment several times.

" Who wants to press the button?" Jeremie asked everyone.

" All yours Einstein," Odd answered.

" I think Xi should," said Franz. Xi was in the corner, lining up the victims from the fight. His sister, Emilie, Aelita, Odd jr, and Angela. Why did she come back, Xi kept asking himself. He didn't take her body out from the elevator, it was too mangled to move properly.

" Xi care to do the honors?" Franz asked as everybody turned to Xi. To their shock he shook his head.

" This was really your fight not mine. I think it's fair the ones who started this, finish it." The group nodded and Aelita who couldn't take it anymore pressed the button. Xana was gone. Xi smiled and looked down at the bodies. The last two people were the Emilies. They were both still there. He had felt for a pulse and felt none. Then Xi realized something. If the forty year old Emilie was still here, that meant only one thing. Emilie was alive! Xi felt for her pulse again. Instead he got a cough of blood that hit him in the face.

Emilie opened her eyes and began to cry and scream in agony. " It hurts! I can't breathe, help me!" The others looked over quickly and saw that Emilie was still alive.

" Run a return now!" Xi shouted at Jeremie who didn't waste any time. " Hurry! Emilie your going to be alright, just hang on for a second longer."

" Return to the past now."


	22. The future isn't written

Xi opened the door to Emilie's room without knocking to see Emilie sitting on her bed looking at her hands.

Exhaling Xi walked in and said, " You made it. I though we lost ya." Emilie didn't react.

Touching her hand to where she was shot she answered, " I can kinda still fell it. The pain, the burning. I was inches from death."

" You'll get over it. The fights over. We beat xana."

" I know. So what now. Did you guys even plan what you'd do after he was beaten. Go back to living normal lives. You guys don't even remember how to be normal."

" I'll manage to be normal again. I'm going home though, just saying goodbye. Where did you get the gun?" he asked remembering about that.

" Stole it from the school. Standard protection issue, post nine eleven stuff."

" Pretty stupid, if you got caught skip expelled you'd be in jail probably." Emilie just shrugged. " Well I'm going, see in thirty years." Xi walked out of her room and down the hall. Walked out of the school and into the park. Taking the sewers he arrived at the lab shortly and was soon standing in the scanner room with Yumi.

* * *

The door to the scanner opened and Xi turned around to look at her. " All this time and yet I never knew," Yumi said looking at her son. " I'm sorry about your friends."

" Don't worry about it. We all knew the risks, I was just luckier. This is goodbye is guess."

" Only for the next fifteen years. Is there anything I could do for you as your mother." Xi thought hard on that.

" I want to stay up late and eat junk food," Xi said sarcastically.

" I can't do that and you know it."

" I know. There is one thing. When you died we didn't exactly separate on the best of terms. I was mad at you I hated you for awhile. When the scanner opens I want you to be there. I want to say I'm sorry right away and I want to know that Odd jr's, Aelita's and Angela's deaths weren't in vain." Xi answered. The truth was he really wanted to see his mother. Not to pick favorites, but he liked her more than his father.

" I can do that. Now give your mother a hug before you go." Xi did as his mother said and entered the scanner. The doors closed and Xi began to feel the strange sensations of traveling through time. He didn't open his eyes, he kept them shut the entire time. During the journey his head began to ache as memories rushed past his mind again. Xi saw his mother, his father, his siblings, years of his and Odd's friendship. One thing wasn't there, he never traveled through time. The memory shock didn't have those memories, but he still knew they happened. Then he was on solid ground.

Xi opened his eyes and looked around himself. Looking up at a bright light in the empty cylinder he noticed he was in the scanner. The doors opened and he squinted, trying to focus on what was outside of it. Outside of the scanner was the first thing he wanted to see, his mother. Yumi stood there looking down at her son with a smile. She extended an arm out to help Xi up, but he didn't need help. Xi jumped out of the scanner and wrapped his arms around her.

Through the pain and lose of his entire adventure, he hadn't cried once. Right then as he held on to his mother like he couldn't believe she was real, he cried. Xi's emotions broke down as she held him.

Yumi smiled and said, " Welcome home Xi. It's been so long since I've seen you cry. Nice to know your still a kid."

" Your back. I can't believe it, your actually back," he mumbled through his emotions.

" Of course I'm back, everyone is back. Let's go upstairs they're waiting." The walked over to the elevator and before they opened it, it opened from the inside. Leaning on the railing was Odd jr.

" Surprise," he said with a half smile, trying to act cool and casual. No one said anything for a moment. Xi looked at Odd jr like he was a ghost.

" No," was all Xi could say. " I saw you, you were dead."

Odd jr laughed and said, " You saw your mother die and yet here she is. As history wrote this time, we never went back because we didn't have to. This entire adventure is now just a memory. Look at your body, your scars of the crash gone. Your arms aren't cut from the glass." Xi lifted up his sleeve and looked at his right arm, no scars. He lifted up his shirt and ran his fingers down his scar covered chest, nothing. Feeling his shoulder from where he was shot and stabbed, nothing.

" We did it." Xi ran to Odd and hugged him. " Welcome home man."

They took the elevator up and when it opened everyone was in the room. Odd and Aelita were in the back with Charlie. A very old Franz Hopper was close to them. Emilie and Jeremie were next to the computer, Emilie holding Kat who was sleeping. Standing at the door was Ulrich and Justin. Leaning against the wall was Keiko, trying to act cool. Twenty five and still as young as ever. Sissi was next to the computer. Xi looked around and saw everyone but Angela.

" You did good Xi," said Ulrich stepping next to his son. Xi extended his arm to shake his fathers hand, knowing a hug wouldn't happen anytime soon. " You resurrect me from the dead and offer me a handshake." Ulrich hugged his son and said, " Thanks for saving me, ten and now. I'm proud of you."

" Thanks dad." After Ulrich let him go Keiko grabbed him from behind and her and Justin hugged him. The group hug lasted for a few seconds before Xi heard a very familiar voice.

" Where's my hug." Xi turned around. The computer chair spun around and sitting on it was Angela. " Hey tough guy." At the same time they ran across the room and hugged each other, Angela almost knocking Xi over. Xi caught her and spun her in circle once before he stopped.

" I thought I lost you," He said, pulling back to look at her but not letting go.

" Xi if we've learned anything from this adventure it is the fact the future isn't written. We have to write our own future, no one is doing it for us. Our friends and family and may effect what we write, but they can't make us write it. In the end if we want to be happy, we need to do it ourselves. So Xi, what are you writing now?" They stared at each other for at least twenty seconds.

Keiko got bored and said, " Just kiss her you wimp, your boring me to death." Xi leaned in and kissed her, and she kissed him back. Justin and Charlie looked away and gagged. Keiko laughed and kissed Justin on the cheek just to freak him out. It lasted about another twenty seconds before they stopped. Emilie handed Jeremie Kat as she sat on the chair and began to type in a few keys.

" We need to do a return so the younger ones won't remember this. We'll meet here tomorrow and implode the lab." Everybody nodded and she pressed the last key they would ever press and said, " Return to the past now."

* * *

Xi, Angela, the Odd's, Aelita, Emilie, Franz Hopper, Jeremie, Sissi, Keiko, Ulrich and Yumi were on the hill top as Emilie pressed the button. They watched as the factory collapsed into itself. The set explosives on the computer, the scanners, the super calculator, everything and watched it go boom. It fell just as planned, not damaging anything else. All that remained of the lab were ruins. The police showed up and found nothing so left it.

Odd bought the land and built a Sound Proof office building over it, to work a little closer to home. Jeremie and Aelita had divorced on better terms but only Aelita still worked at Kadic, Jeremie was teaching at another school. Emilie retired to become a full time mother, which she was enjoying, not wanting to miss a moment. Ulrich and Yumi still lived three hours away, but kept in contact. Sissi didn't remarry but stayed nearby. Franz now in his seventies was the headmaster at Kadic, who would give the job to Aelita when he retired. Keiko lost her job from having no excuse for not going to work, though she couldn't tell them why. She works for Odd now, and likes the pay.

Xi and Angela were close as usual. It was easier to date because Odd jr lived off campus with his mother. They had the time for a relationship now. Even making the biggest step Junior year. Odd jr however was a little depressed. He really missed Milly, and now she never knew he existed. Then a year later a new girl started at Kadic. Short, cute, red head girl who was mature for her age. Her name was Carla Solovieff, Milly's third child.

At Milly's graduation party, a little to much beer for her and her boyfriend and nine months later. Her boyfriend abandoned the baby and she called on a few old friends for help. By the time she was thirty she was married and divorced three times and had three kids. Odd jr began to date Carla almost immediately. Her mother didn't remember him but when he meet her she did feel a bit of deja vu.

Xi had done the impossible, he had changed history. His future was bright, and was going to write it the way he wanted to.

The end... for now


	23. Deleted Scenes

**Deleted scenes.**

There was plenty of stuff in this story that was left out and added. For the most part it was because something else fit in better, or the part just didn't fit. Here are a few alternate events that I could of added but changed for the best outcome possible.

1. When Ulrich was killed in the beginning I was originally going to have Ulrich and Jeremie die in that scene. Ulrich was possessed the same, but he shot both of them, instead of just Odd who suffered minor injuries.

2. In the first copy I wrote that Angela in chapter sixteen wasn't forced to go back by Xi. I never added the scene were Sissi was almost raped in the original, but the awkward scene with Xi and Angela I did. I thought that according to my rules of changing things in the past, something should of happened to negatively affect the future( A twist).

3. The scene in chapter nineteen where Xi fought xana's copy of Ulrich wasn't as long. In the original Xana knocked the table at Xi and ran out a window. I figured that was a little boring so decided to spice it up, make it more interesting and exciting. Xi loses the fight but when you look at who he was fighting he's happy to be alive.

4. In chapter thirteen I was originally going to have Jeremie and Odd fight each other over Aelita, but I couldn't fit it in, the chapter was long enough as it is.

5. In the rough draft I wrote that Odd jr was the one who gave the, future isn't written speech at the end of chapter twenty two. I originally wanted Angela to do it, so in the final draft she said it and not him.

**Alternate endings...**

The ending where xana drained Xi and basically gave Franz Hopper control was actually original ending. But toward the end I found it hard to explain that. Here were the other ideas.

1. Xi still tried to make a deal with Xana, but Xana denied him and was about to kill him before Emilie LeDuc from the future arrived and shot him with an EMP bullet. Then she shot him with a gun that turned him into a disc. I dropped that, because it was too weird and confusing to understand how she made the gun. Emilie was the savior in this one.

2. Xi made the deal with Xana and Xana uploaded Franz Hopper. Xana kills that body, and still remains in control, drains Xi fully, kill the others and goes to the past. Sissi arrives after he leaves and Yumi sends her to the past before she dies from the injury on the elevator. I liked this ending the best because in the series Sissi is regrettably one of my favorite characters and I like giving her at least some importance within the plot.

But I couldn't figure out how she'd manage to stop xana who was now Xi, so I left it as is, and went back to my original ending.

_**Spin Offs...**_

Dirty little secret is a spin off of chapter thirteen. Some of the dialog in the chapter is the same with the story, as well as the main plot. Aelita cheating on Jeremie for Odd. I added more detail and characters, events, that made it more understanding to why the cheating happened. Review wise Dirty Little Secret was more successful.

Final notes.

It took a few weeks but I finally finished fixing this story. I thinking about going back and fixing 'As you wish' as well, and giving the deleted scenes on that as well.


End file.
